Words of Love
by fukuji mihoko
Summary: Neru wants to be an idol- but the world is an unfair place, and it seems her wish will never come true. But this is all set to change when she meets a strange girl with a beautiful voice, who calls herself a 'Vocaloid'. :Miku/Neru, fluffy:
1. Dreams

**Words of Love**

Chapter One

'Dreams'

* * *

Akita Neru had dreamed about this moment for a long time. All these years – ever since she was a tiny tot and had wished upon a star – she had been praying, hoping, waiting.

And it had finally paid off.

The blonde was resplendent, decked from head to toe in the latest fashion; no doubt, her shimmering silver shirt, skirt and knee-high boots cost more than most salary men earned in a year (such were the privileges of being famous).

Her blonde hair was tied back in the trademark side ponytail, and it shone under the heavy stage lights.

A bright smile spread across her lips.

She had never wanted anything as much as this in her entire life; and now, just like the story of Cinderella, her dreams were going to come true!

_Only_, Neru mused, _my hair is much, much nicer than her's was in the Disney movie. And I'm not so stupid as to pin all my happiness on some unnamed prince who wasn't even _that _good-looking anyway._

_Come to think of it, Cinderella wasn't a good comparison at all._

But she did not care.

The cheers of the crowd rang in her ears, the harsh lights played across her skin, and the sound of music began to drift through the stadium; a haunting presence, like a miasma.

The crowd settled.

The lights dimmed.

And Neru walked onto the stage; confidently, her head held high.

_I'm finally going to become an idol!_

With that thought held firmly in her mind (glittering like a precious jewel), Neru opened her mouth, and began to sing.

The crowd, which had fallen into a revered sort of hush upon her arrival, became more boisterous and energic yet; the atmosphere was electrifiying, and it only intensified threefold when Neru, microphone held firmly in her grasp, began to dance.

Her heart thumped widly in her chest, and the music was her guide; the notes ghosting over her like ethereal fingers, prodding her in the right direction. Her body was one with the music; the tune, the beat, the pulse and rythmn ingraining itself her mind – her very being.

This was what if felt like to **live**.

"Neru-chan! Go Neru-chan!"

Neru's eyes did snag, however, as she scanned the jam-packed stands with star-struck eyes, upon a certain, singular girl.

There was nothing about her that stood out; notwithstanding the long, green (or was it turquoise…? Dim lighting and star stuck eyes – hard to make out small details) hair that bounced about her lithe frame as she jumped up and down, shouting louder than everyone else.

Her voice called to Neru.

It called to her like no song ever had.

"Neru-chan. Do your best."

* * *

"Neru!"

A loud slam made Neru jump violently. Her head snapped up in an almost comical fashion- there was almost enough force behind the action to give her whiplash.

"Some things never change, do they, Akita-san?" said Sakine-sensei. She sighed a little, and folded her arms. "You're just as bad as that clumsy, good-for-nothing Kaito…"

Neru's mouth hung open stupidly. She looked not entirely dissimilar to a dead fish.

It was not a very attractive look.

Hell, even Gumi-san (the most graceful, poised, delicate flower of a girl whom every single boy from Tokyo to Timbuktu blindly worshipped like some sort of deity) would find it hard to make the 'kipper-out-of-water' face look good.

Then again, Gumi-san **was** pretty incredible.

Who knew, maybe she could.

She even made _biting her fingernails _look sophisticated and attractive.

Neru lamented; it just wasn't fair.

Some people like Gumi obviously got lucky when it came to blindly drawing out genes from the family gene pool. Other people, like poor Neru, got lumbered with such gifts as: incredible shortness, no chest, a bad-temper, the ability to piss the people off she cared about most and a voice like a yowling cat.

Then again, Neru had never been lucky.

"Neru," said Meiko dangerously, waving a manicured finger in her pupil's face. "You're doing a very good impression of a moron right now. Close your mouth before you let the flies in."

Neru's face flushed an undignified scarlet.

Oh, how she longed to snap back some retort: but, unfortunately, to do such a thing to Meiko was tantamount to singing your own death warrant.

Like most theatrical types, Meiko was scary when she got angry.

And she got angry on a very frequent basis.

"Right," said Meiko, clapping her hands together. "Now Akita-san has decided to grace us with her full attention," she shot Neru a slit-eyed glare, "we can now return to our lesson."

Meiko was not what you would normally associate a 'teacher' with. She did not deal with textbooks or the like; mainly because she did not teach math or English or history.

She was a dance teacher.

Neru, like many other eager young girls with unrealistic dreams of superstardom, had attended the prestigious 'Sakine's School of Dance' from the early age of eight.

Most of her other classmates had improved since they first joined oh-so-many years ago.

Neru, unfortunately, had not.

She still had two left feet, and she still mixed up her moves, and she still knocked people over from time to time (usually accidentally; but when it came to that awful, pompous ojou, Rin, Neru's trips and stumbles in her general direction were usually quite on purpose).

Neru still grew frustrated with herself.

She still walked off midway through routines, flushed and angry and hating everything.

She still chewed gum in class, and she still texted people on her cell every five minutes, and she still fell asleep, from time to time, when Meiko was giving prep talks and the girls were sat on the floor.

It was a wonder Neru hadn't been kicked out yet.

Maybe it was because deep down, underneath her cold, heartless exterior, Meiko was more like a mom-figure than an evil ogre.

Meiko knew how much Neru wanted to succeed.

So she tried her best to teach her.

Meiko was, after all, 'the best'. Her academy was named as such, and for good reason.

Meiko (the very same Meiko who knocked back alcohol as though it were water and found nothing more fun than abusing her poor, spineless hubby, Kaito) used to be an idol herself, when she was in her teens.

Her name had been simply 'Sakine Meiko', and like a star, she had shone.

Her concerts were all sold out, and her fanbase immeasurable. She had appeared on every chat show and game show at least three times. She had released a whole bunch of best-selling CDs; her most famous song being entitled '_Honey_'. Her poster had been on every teenage boys' bedroom wall, and her perfect figure had been secretly envied by every girl.

And then – as Meiko often said – she met stupid Kaito and stupidly fallen in love and decided, quite irrationally, insanely and completely unintelligently, to abandon her career and get married.

When Meiko was twenty-something, she decided to open Sakine's School of Dance. Another has-been superstar, Megurine Luka, helped coach the younger students (alongside the fabulously inept Kaito), whilst Meiko herself handled the older students.

Needless to say, the academy had simply thrived.

Meiko was thirty-three now; and still every bit as pretty, witty and good at dancing as she had been at sixteen.

People still loved Meiko, even though she was insane.

But nobody loved Neru.

Nobody even knew who she was.

The blonde sighed, and hugged her knees closer to her body.

She wanted to be back in the dream.

That wonderful dream, where she could sing and dance and do everything she wanted to do; be everything she wanted to be. Not some loser with an inferiority complex, a tendency to snap at the slightest thing and the grace of an elephant on roller skates.

Neru wanted her fantasy world.

In that world, she would dance and sing, while people cheered her on.

_Like that strange girl with the turquoise (I'm sure it was turquoise) hair… The one with the most beautiful voice._

_I want to be like her._

Neru scowled at her own stupidity; pining after a figment of her own imagination was stupid.

She simply needed to try a little harder at her dancing today, that was all.

Maybe today it would come together.

Maybe today…

* * *

"Okay, girls, you did great," said Meiko, at the end of the two hour session. With a clap of her hands, the activity in the dance hall was brought to a swift termination. Gumi – always perfect – hastened to switch the CD off for Meiko.

The strains of 'Be Myself' died on the air.

"Just a few things," said Meiko, looking about the group of assembled students. "Miki, don't move so stiffly; it's distracting, and makes you look like you have joint pain."

Miki – a red-head with a bright smile – gave Meiko a polite bow.

Meiko began counting names off her on fingers; "Teto, don't slouch; Momo, remember to move your right leg; and Rin, don't look so freaking **miserable** all the time. It's like you're at a funeral! God, it's depressing, and it makes me think of the Exorcist."

Rin gave a short bow, too, but Neru could see the irritation playing about her face, and it cheered her.

_Ha! She deserves it._

"Alright class, you can go," said Meiko, making fanciful ushering motions. And then, under her breath; "God, I really need a drink…"

Miki flashed Neru a small smile, sharing a private joke – 'she always says that'.

Neru allowed herself to return the smile. She turned, and began to hunt for her jacket (where had she left it again?) when-

"Wait, Neru- a word, please," Meiko called.

The other girls had all begun filing out; chatting, laughing, buttoning coats and tying scarves and slipping on gloves. Rin still looked angry.

Miki gave Neru a questioning look, but, with a shrug and wave, turned 180 degrees and made for the door. She began to talk with Gumi.

"Neru," said Meiko, once all the students had exited. The brunette folded her arms. She sounded very serious.

A faint feeling of dread washed over Neru.

"Look, I'm not going to be nice about it. Life isn't nice. Life is a total inconsiderate bitch at times, and it sure as hell won't think twice about being mean to _you_. So suck it up." Meiko spoke harshly, but she seemed – despite her words – to be genuinely worried for Neru.

Neru found she could not meet Meiko's gaze.

Instead, she looked at the floor and scuffed her shoes.

"Neru." A pause. A long, drawn out, g a p i n g chasm of nothing.

You could have heard a pin drop.

Neru knew what Meiko was going to say even before she said it.

"I don't think this 'idol' career is really for you."

And there it was.

Neru felt her lungs constrict, and her heart shudder to a momentary halt. Her fingers began to tremble. Only that morning she had been dreaming – dancing and singing and- and- and that strange _girl_ with the hair and the voice – and now, some two hours later, all her hopes were to be taken away?

That was hardly fair!

_Life isn't._

"I mean, let's face facts, Neru." Meiko pursed her lips. "You can't sing. You can't dance. You don't even _smile_. If Rin looks depressed, you look… well… Dead. Like _nothing_. It's upsetting, uh huh, I know, but there must be other things you're good at. Why don't you do something else?"

_Because I don't want to _do _anything else._

Neru balled her fingers into fists, she gritted her teeth.

She felt angry.

She had to feel angry, or else she would feel sad – and that would be much, much worse.

Neru didn't want to cry.

Not in front of Meiko; the woman who had been Neru's inspiration ever since she was young. Neru remembered; how enthralled she had been watching Meiko's music videos, and how she tried to copy her, from the bob-length cut of her hair to the clothes she wore.

Neru remembered singing in a hairbrush at her bedroom mirror, and thinking 'this is what I want to do when I'm older'. Not be a professional 'singing-at-a-hairbrush-in-my-bedroom-mirror'er, but a real, famous, loved and adored idol.

An idol like Meiko and Luka and the Macnes and – oh, like all of them.

Any of them.

That was all Neru wanted.

"Sakine-sensei." Neru's voice was cold and steely. It did not waver.

Slowly, Neru brought her gaze up to meet Meiko's. Her eyes were hardened and determined. Not a glisten of tell-tale tears could be seen.

Neru to make Meiko understand.

"I can be an idol. I know I can. I just need to work harder. I need to act maturely, and not grow annoyed when I can't do everything; I need to calm down, I need to change my attitude, but I know I can do it."

Meiko looked uncertain. "But for someone like you… Practise might not be enough. The 'star quality' I look for is something you're born with. It's hard to replicate."

"But not impossible."

"…"

"I'll try my hardest. I promise," said Neru defiantly. Her eyes blazed. "Give me another chance."

And Meiko, stunned almost to silence at such a fiery display of resolve, stood there. Eyes wide.

_Perhaps I misjudged Neru…_

Meiko cleared her throat.

She placed her hands on her hips, and tried to look in control. Not fazed at all. Confusion was a state of mind for lesser mortals, like Kaito. Certainly not Sakine Meiko.

"Alright then, Neru-san. You leave me with no choice." Meiko's voice was strong and calm. "I will give you one month to prove me wrong. If you cannot, I apologise, but I do not see any point in either of us wasting our time further."

A small, self-confident smile broke across Neru's face.

"Deal."

* * *

**a/n:** IIII~ wrote a new story XD

It's based on a certain PV, but I won't say which one cause it would ruin the plot XD

From the pairing you might already know, though –poutypout-

I hope the story isn't too long but, knowing me, it probably will be XD

I hope to keep this one very to-the-point and plot-driven, though.

So yay.

Cake and cookies for all!

Please review –puppy dog eyes-

They are like nourishment for my heart and soul, om noms :3


	2. Cold

**Words of Love**

Chapter Two

'Cold'

* * *

_So I took on Meiko's bet, but…_

Neru shivered, and tugged her scarf up about her neck with mitten-clad hands. It was a clumsy, ham-fisted manoeuvre, but she got there in the end.

With a contented sigh, Neru jammed her hands back into the sanctuary of warm, toasty pockets.

The wind whisleted about her worse than ever; tugging insistently at strands of blonde hair and throwing about in the breeze. Neru had to resist the urge to snap at the bad weather – talking to herself in a public street would have looked nothing but crazy.

Not that there were that many people about who would have heard her.

A few shoppers – perhaps buying Christmas presents or some such thing – hurried along, bundled up in coats and scarves like elves on the front of disgusting, vomit-inducing, so-cheesy-you-can't-believe-it cards, and that was about it.

There was very little traffic.

Neru's shoes crunched in the snow. Once upon a time it had been white, but now it was black and slushy and riddled with footprints.

If Neru had been a sentimental person, this desecration of something so beautiful would have upset her.

As it was, the blonde could not have cared less.

She had far more pressing matters to attend to.

_I went along with Meiko, but one _month_? That's the timescale I have to improve in? _Really? _Like, maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and be more coordinated and beautiful than even Gumi-san. Maybe some miracle will occur when I'm sleeping._

_Or maybe I need to lay off this useless daydreaming and Disney crap._

_It's not going to happen._

_What does Meiko always say? Practise makes perfect._

But the brunette's previous words still rang in Neru's ears, clear as spring water; _For someone like you, practise might not be enough. _Neru felt her insides churn themselves up into tight knots.

No matter how hard she tried, it seemed her dream was to remain just that. A dream.

It was slipping away from her fingertips and she couldn't do anything.

One month was not an adequate amount of time for somebody clumsy as Neru to improve. Hell, one lifetime might not be enough! Even if she were to be reincarnated as another young girl with big dreams, her inability to dance and sing would – doubtless – be carried through to this new life, and she would be no better off than she had been before.

Perhaps worse.

…Not that Neru believed in reincarnation, so it was a moot point, anyway.

Neru felt red hot tears pricking the corner of her eyes. Angrily, she wiped them away, and sniffed a little. It was a good job she had left the shoppers behind her as she left the more 'cosmopolitan' district.

Now, Neru was walking along a rather dark and foreboding alleyway, and no person had deigned to follow her.

She was alone.

Well, good.

Neru _liked_ being alone.

No Rin and her caustic comments; no Miki with her good-natured, but fully misunderstanding, smiles; no more Gumi with her talent; no more Meiko with her judgements.

Just Neru and her thoughts.

She thought about her future, and her past, and her dreams, and – curiously enough – that strange girl.

The one with the turquoise hair.

Neru had never met a person like her before. She wondered who she was. Then she wondered why she cared. Neru knew quite a few people, and none of them were particularly interesting or amazing; people tended to avoid Neru, at any rate, because of her quick-to-change temperament and tendency to lash out at people.

The only person even remotely worth Neru's time was Len.

Rin's twin brother.

_Len-kun, _Neru thought. She felt very morose; as one often does, when their dreams are on the brink of destruction. _He's the only person I feel I can talk to._

But Len was happily oblivious to Neru's plight, and had been that way for some three years.

_Urgh! Why does everything have to __**be**__ this way? I hate it! I hate it!_

_I'll never move forward like this!_

It was at this point, a flash of turquoise caught Neru's eyes. In her peripheral vision, a splash of green and blue alerted Neru to another's presence.

She wiped her sleeve across her eyes again, angrily. She didn't want another person to see she had been crying. Her cheeks flushed red.

"W-who is it?" Neru cried, trying to control her voice. It sounded very shaky to even her own ears.

No reply met her words.

Neru's eyes narrowed. She turned, and began to walk slowly forwards.

"Have you been following me or something?" she demanded, folding her arms. "Because if you have, I'm going to make you so sorry, you pervert-"

But Neru's words died on the cold, winter air.

There was no 'pervert'.

Rounding a corner, the blonde happened upon a bizarre (and slightly worrying sight).

Amidst a sea of dirty snow and trash – McDonald's wrappers and cans and bottles and soggy cardboard – there lay none other than a young girl. Her back pressed against the grimy wall (covered in graffiti and ugly stains), her head lolling; legs splayed out, arms crossed at her middle.

Her eyelids were closed, and she looked peaceful, despite her surroundings.

Her hair was very long, and fell about her shoulders, and curled gently on the floor.

And she was completely naked.

It was a good thing her hair was so long; it must have been thigh-length, were she stood up.

Neru stared at the spectacle. Her cheeks began to heat up.

Dark thoughts began to cloud her head; worry for a person she had never met.

Why would a pretty young girl be sprawled in the middle of an alley, supposedly sleeping, without any clothes on?

Neru's mind instantly just to rape. Thievery. Maybe a prank? But who would play a sick joke like that?

And why did the girl look so serene?

It didn't make sense.

Unless…

Neru's limbs moved stiffly; previously, they had been frozen in place. She moved forwards on shaky limbs, and knelt beside the sleeping (Neru hoped she was sleeping) girl.

The girl did not stir. Not so much as a flicker of eyelids, or a yawn.

With trembling fingers – clumsy, in their mittens – Neru carefully took the girl's wrist. She held it loosely, for fear it would snap; the girl was very thin, almost abnormally so. Neru fumbled with her arm, before impatiently peeling her mittens off and dropping them to the floor.

Tremulously, Neru took the girl's wrist, and held the fingertips of her free hand to the inside of her wrist.

There was no pulse.

Neru quivered with fear.

_Is she dead…?_

_But no, she can't be. People don't look so _content_ when they die, do they? _Do they_?_

Of course, Neru did not know. She wasn't a nurse or a doctor or a scientist- or trained in any kind of medicine at all. The only thing about medicine Neru knew was that aspirin cured headaches.

And Neru doubted an aspirin would help this girl.

_And why is she naked, anyway…?_

_This doesn't make sense!_

It was then – and only then – that Neru noted something rather peculiar about this girl, despite the obvious.

Neru's fingers, still held to the girl's wrist, were beginning to tremble with cold. The breeze bit at her exposed flesh angrily, and make her fingers turn red.

But the girl's skin was not cold.

It was, in fact, freakishly _warm_.

Her wrist, hands, fingers – everything about her skin was hot, and something under the surface seemed to be crackling, like electricity. Circuitry. Wires?

Neru drew back in alarm, and nearly overbalanced; she managed to catch herself, and crouched on the slimy ground, gazing over this 'girl'.

She didn't have any ears.

_She has no ears!_

Neru's mind registered this fact with alarm. Her brain buzzed, trying to make sense of everything.

Instead of ears, the 'girl' had… Headphones, were they? A pair of black and pink headphones, that seemed – incredibly – to be fused to her own skin.

The breath caught in Neru's throat.

She had made another new discovery.

On the 'girl's' upper arm – Neru could see it faintly beneath the curtain of hair. With shaking fingers, Neru drew the turquoise strands back – there was a tattoo.

It read, simply;

'**01**'

And underneath that:

'**VOCALOID**

**Crypton**'

Neru's mind spun. She tried to pull herself together.

But this was one of the strangest things that _ever_ happened to Neru, in her whole eighteen years on planet Earth.

_What is a 'Vocaloid'?_

_What is 'Crypton'?_

But there was one thing Neru did now.

This 'girl' wasn't human.

Still shaking, like a drug addict experiencing withdrawal symptoms, Neru moved closer, so as to inspect the girl's tattoo. Her fingertips reached out. She paused, fingers hovering over the girl – no, vocaloid – whatever one of those was.

And then she berated herself for being stupid.

The girl had not woken even when Neru shouted, or jostled her whilst searching for a pulse.

She would hardly wake up now.

And Neru's fingertips descended; trailing lightly along the tattoo.

All of a sudden, a change overtook the lifeless vocaloid beneath Neru's feather-light touch – in that she was no longer lifeless anymore…

There a whirring sound; soft, at first, but growing louder and louder. It built to a hum, a static noise like a faulty television.

Neru froze.

The noise built and built until – finally – it culminated in a steady beat; a _thud thud thud _which was, unmistakably, a heartbeat.

The vocaloid was no longer immobile – like a detailed doll, beautifully crafted - but awake and alert and unmistakably alive.

The vocaloid's eyes, after blinking groggily a couple of times, finally snapped wide open.

They were bright, brilliant green.

At this, Neru really did lose her balance.

Tottering, arms pinwheeling, she fell back onto the snowy floor with a crunch and splash. Her coat was soaked. Her skirt was soaked. Her tights were laddered and ruined.

Cold began to seep through her flimsy tights, chilling her flesh.

Neru's body crawled with cold and surprise.

The vocaloid looked about her surroundings in wonderment, before – finally – her green eyes took note of poor Neru. The blonde was sat on the floor, dumbly staring.

"Oh!" said the vocaloid in surprise. "Are you okay? H-here, take my hand…"

But Neru could not take her hand.

That voice resounded in Neru's mind; flicking on memories like a switches in a house.

Neru knew this person.

It was the girl from her dream.

* * *

**an: **Seemed like a good place to end it.

Read and review?

I'll love you forever :3


	3. Song

**Words of Love**

Chapter Three

'Song'

* * *

"So… Your name is 'Miku'?"

"Hatsune Miku," beamed the vocaloid. "You spell that with the characters for 'first', 'sound' and 'future'."

Miku was now clothed in Neru's heavy coat. The blonde had forced it upon the vocaloid, despite Miku's well-natured protests. In the end, the murderous glare on Neru's face had convinced the vocaloid it would be best to shut up and take the coat.

Neru found it very difficult to hold a serious conversation with somebody who was naked.

Even if that somebody was a robot.

_Her blood is made of oil and her veins are circuitry. I shouldn't be embarrassed, but…_

_She looks __exactly__ human!_

_What kind of sick person would make something like this?_

Neru had thought.

Even though Miku was now decently attired in a large, bulky coat that reached her knees, Neru still found her cheeks flushing. Neru was prone to blushing, though; usually when she most wanted to appear calm and 'together'.

Like when Len spoke to her.

Or when Rin made fun of her dancing.

Neru resisted the urge to knock herself in the side of the head; to physically slam some sense into her empty, confused head.

The blonde shuddered, and drew her arms round her shoulders. Without her coat, Neru felt hideously cold. Her sweater wasn't helping keep the heat in. Neru wished she were back at home, in her warm house, with no Miku to deal with and no stupid bet with Meiko.

"Are you the one who woke me up?" Miku asked. She blinked at Neru hopefully with those green, green eyes.

Neru noted, with some annoyance, this thin, wraith-like robot was still a good head taller than her.

_Everybody_ was taller than Neru.

"Y-yes," Neru stuttered. "I guess so…?"

And damn it, she hated sounding so shy and stupid.

Miku smiled brightly. "Hello! It's nice to meet you, master. I now belong to you, and only you. I will follow your every command; you may ask anything of me, and it shall be done." She bowed.

"Wh…wh… Wha?"

Neru's face, which she had previously attempted to control, now flooded scarlet. Her eyes widened almost comically.

"N-now, wait a sec," said Neru, holding her hands up. She backed away slowly. "I-i'm not into stuff like that! No way! W-what kind of… of _stuff-_" Neru winced. She couldn't find the right word. "-were you programmed to do, exactly?"

Miku tilted her head to one side, inquisitively. Like a small bird. "Sing, of course!~"

Neru mouth open and closed a couple of times, but no words came out.

Finally, she choked: "T-then why…?"

"Why what?"

Neru's nerves felt completely frayed; mangled beyond belief.

First, she had been told to give up on her dream because it was never going to happen.

Second, there had been the bet.

And _then_ she ran into this strange, naked robot called 'Miku' who greeted Neru like a character from a boys' R-rated ero game! Neru didn't need some creepy cyber girl talking like a character from '_S.O.S From the Maid Star'_! In fact, this was exactly the last thing she needed.

"I don't understand the problem," said Miku. She looked quite confused. "Why is your face red?"

Miku leant forward. Her face very close to Neru's.

Far, far too close.

Neru, rigid in shock, found she could not stagger back. Her feet had planted themselves firmly to the ground; still coated thick with snowy pulp and slush. Neru felt her face burning red.

Miku's exploring fingers grazed Neru's cheeks. They cupped both of Neru's cheeks gently. Miku's eyelids fluttered; her brows quirked in a questioning manner.

"I don't understand why your skin should flush in this way," Miku frowned. She bit her lower lip. "Is it maybe a… defence mechanism?"

Neru could barely choke out the words; "I-it's called a blush."

"And what does it do?"

"W-well…" Neru swallowed. Her eyes darted about manically; she didn't want to look at Miku's face. Miku's touch was searing hot. Sparks seemed to flicker underneath her skin, as though she had been electrocuted. Over and over again. It wasn't an unpleasant sensation; just weird.

Neru's whole day had been weird.

"It doesn't really do anything," Neru said, after a pause. "I-it happens when you're embarrassed…"

"Then why do it if it does not have a purpose? That's strange." Miku looked even more confused than ever, but she finally drew back.

Neru let out a breath she did not know she had been holding, and took those much-needed two steps back.

"M-miku, where did you come from?"

"I was made by Crypton."

"Then maybe you should go back?" Neru suggested. She almost couldn't believe this – she was talking to a robot. Maybe, if she gave her arm a pinch, she would wake up and it would all be a dream…? "I'm sure this, um… 'Crypton'… misses you. You know?"

Miku wrinkled her nose. "No. I'm not going back."

"Then where will you stay?"

"I'm staying with you!"

_Of course. I should have seen that one coming. How naïve of me._

Neru briefly thought that, if she was a boy, this situation would be absolutely ideal. How many times did this set-up happen in boys' manga? The (generally repulsive) hero would happen upon some pretty, nubile femme-bot offer her kindness, and in return the robot would proclaim herself his free servant and come to live at his house, doing all this chores and homework and falling in love with him in the process.

Too bad Neru wasn't a boy, then.

Instead of being thrilled at the prospect of having her own 'vocaloid', Neru was filled with a cold, sickly dread.

She couldn't afford to maintain a robot this advanced!

What if Miku was stolen software? Her old company – Crypton? – would probably her want her back. Would Neru be punished for hiding Miku?

And surely someone would question who Neru's strange new 'best friend' was?

And besides, Miku was pretty.

Very pretty.

What if Len liked Miku more than her?

In fact, that was a given; of course Len would like Miku more. Miku was a robot; her good looks had been engineered by scientists in a laboratory! Not even Gumi could beat that.

"Miku, you can't stay with me," Neru tried to reason. "I only have a small apartment, and-"

"I don't take up much space!" Miku was only too quick to assure. "And I could do all your housework, and- anything you want, really. Please let me stay, master!"

_Oh God, this really _is _like '_S.O.S From the Maid Star'_!_

_I hope she doesn't introduce to me a load of other 'maidloids' who want to live in my house and ruin my life..._

"T-this isn't a joke, is it?" Neru asked desperately.

"Joke? Why would I wish to trick you? Do I appear untrustworthy?"

"N-no, it's not that. But. God." Neru sighed. Her head fell into her palm with a '_thwack_'. "This is crazy. This is so unreal…"

"I am real," Miku was only too quick to reassure. "I'm not a dream."

_And yet, she looks so much like that girl from my dream…_

Neru could only wonder.

Maybe she was going crazy.

Stress could do that.

Or maybe she had been on her cell phone too much, and the radio waves were slowly frying her brain.

Neru wasn't one to believe in cell phone scare stories, but at this point, she was ready to believe almost anything, if it would provide a realistic reason as to why Miku did not exist and she was some strange hallucination.

"I could sing for you, if you want," Miku suggested. Her face was earnest.

And Neru realised-

_She really wants to come with me._

_But why?_

_Is she running away from something?_

Miku shifted from foot to foot, restless. "Master?" she questioned.

"Y-yes," Neru stuttered in return. Her cheeks flushed red again. "D-don't call me 'master', it sounds so… so… _Weird._"

"But I don't know your real name."

"N-neru."

_Oh my God, why am I _still _blushing? Why? It's not like she asked anything indecent; just a name._

_You know your name, right, Neru?_

"Akita Neru," said the conflicted blonde, with a touch more confidence. The stuttering had ceased, at any rate. "It's spelt like 'got bored, went to sleep'."

At this, Miku began to giggle. She had a very pretty laugh. A poetic person would, no doubt, have compared the laugh to moonbeams or sunshine, or some such stupid thing that was completely unrelated to laughter.

"Hee~ That's quite funny." Miku smiled. "Okay then! I will call you Neru-chan!"

Neru's eyes widened. "W-we're on first name terms already?"

"Of course! We're friends, right?"

"If we are, that was awfully fast."

That was better- with the light jibing, Neru was feeling (and acting) an awful lot like her normal self.

Her normal self did not blush when people asked her name, or let strangers _caress_ her face.

"You can call me Miku-chan, if you like," Miku offered. "I don't mind."

"Hn."

"And, if you like… I would gladly sing for you, Neru-chan."

Neru tugged at the sleeves of her sweater. She ducked her head; face obscured by swaying blonde bangs. It effectively hid her blush, and the fact she was dreadfully, inexplicably flustered.

Nobody had offered to sing for her before.

It was oddly…

Touching.

When Neru spoke next, she hardly recognised her own voice, for it was so soft. "O-okay…"

And Miku raised her head, placed her hand on her chest, opened her mouth, and sang.

Her voice was more beautiful than Neru remembered, even from her dream.

The song tugged at Neru's heartstrings, in a manner nothing had done before. Her legs felt weak. She could barely support herself. The magnitude of Miku's singing had reached out and touched Neru – there was something ethereal and other-worldly about Miku's voice.

This song was for Neru…

"N-neru-chan!" Miku broke off hastily. Worry kindled in her green gaze. "A-are you alright?"

Neru had been crying without realising it.

She had never heard anything so _perfect_.

Neru knew that she, certainly, would never be able to sing in such a way.

Miku's voice made Neru realise how far away her goal was; and just how unreachable.

Just as unreachable – perhaps more – as the clouds in the sky.

Once Neru realised she had been crying, she quickly tried to hide it. Turning her head away, she brought her arm to her eyes and wiped. Neru did not like anyone to see her cry- not even a robot. It made her feel insecure. Completely without barriers or defences.

And Neru needed barriers.

It protected her.

To let anyone see her real feelings was unthinkable.

"I-i'm okay, really," Neru lied fluidly- if a little shakily.

But Miku would not listen.

Instead, she moved forward, and took Neru's arm. Instantly, the blonde tried to move back, to duck her head; but Miku remained resolute.

"Neru-chan," said Miku. "What is the fluid coming from your eyes?"

"Tears. They're called _tears_."

It amazed Neru that Miku could sing with so much depth- but in reality, did not understand the simplest of emotions. Did that mean the feeling in her voice was faked? Did it make her songs less beautiful?

…But no.

Even then, it did not.

"And why do you shed these 'tears'?"

"B-because…" Neru sniffed. "It happens when humans are sad."

"Sad?"

"You know what…" Neru squared her shoulders, and looked up. She forced a blank face. Her tears had already dried. "It doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter."

_You wouldn't understand anyway._

* * *

"Is this your house, Neru-chan?" asked Miku, looking around at her surroundings with something akin to awe.

"No, just an apartment. I don't 'own' it, per say…"

Truth be told, Neru didn't really _like_ her apartment. It consisted only of three rooms; a kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom/sitting room that had to double up. The furniture was sparse, and the pink color scheme was enough to make Neru's eyes go fuzzy. Neru liked pink and all, but there was a distinct point where 'some pink' became 'too much pink'.

It felt like living in a giant strawberry jelly.

Then again, fashion tastes varied.

Teto, at least, thought it was 'really cool'. Not that Teto's opinion mattered much. That girl was plainly a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

If Teto were to become an interior decorator, Neru feared the havoc she would reak; color here and color there, because 'you can never add too much SEIZURE to a room!'

Teto's own bedroom looked like it'd been hit by a vomiting rainbow.

"But Neru-chan, I love it!" Miku squealed. She was running about like an excitable child. "It's so small and cute!"

Neru couldn't help but smile a little.

"You might like it now, but when you've been here a while…" She heaved a mock shudder. "The 'small' aspect becomes less 'cute', and more constricting."

"You say 'a while'?" Miku looked at Neru hopefully. "You mean I can stay here a while?"

"Uh… That is to say…" Neru stared at her fingernails. They were neat little squares, painted yellow. And no, she wasn't trying to hide a blush – she wasn't.

_Arghh, who am I kidding._

_I'm so useless sometimes._

"You can stay if you want, I suppose. I don't care either way." Neru feigned nonchalance.

Even so, Miku's face brightened.

"Yay, Neru-chan! I'm so happy I met a nice master like you!~"

At the dreaded 'm' word, Neru's face exploded a more violent red than before. Indeed, Neru was becoming so very good at blushing- her skin was red more often than its' normal color. If she kept it up, she could easily be mistaken for a traffic light, or a tomato.

"I-i told you not to call me that!"

Miku flashed a megawatt smile. "Okay, Neru-chan! Whatever master says, I promise to humbly obey~"

Now, that smile, combined with that word, was a deadly combination.

No guy could have resisted that.

For some strange, bizarre reason, even Neru felt her breath hitch slightly. Her lungs constricted. Words were beyond Neru's grasp for a few seconds. The poor, flustered blonde tried desperately to regain the ability of speech, whilst Miku giggled childishly.

"Y-you!" Neru cried, affronted. She affixed Miku a mean glare.

"Me?"

"You're doing this on purpose!"

"Doing what?"

The pout on Miku's face was nothing short of lethal.

Not to mention those huge eyes – so impossibly green.

Neru made a mental note to never, under any circumstances, introduce Len to Miku.

"A-anyway," said Neru. She was picking at the loose thread of her sweater again. It was less likely to procure a blush from the blonde. "You really need some clothes. You can't keep wearing my coat."

"Why not?"

"Enough with the questions!"

"But if I don't ask questions, how will I learn?"

"Just…" Neru frowned. "Just. It's not decent to walk around wearing nothing but a coat. And don't-" Neru saw Miku's mouth open. The blonde held up her hands. "-don't ask questions. Just accept it for what it is. Now… Come with me, and I'll pick out some clothes. You'll have to borrow some of my stuff until I can go shopping."

Thankfully, Miku agreed.

* * *

"So, um… Miku-chan…" Neru tested the name experimentally. It felt strange, being on first name terms with someone she barely knew. Then again, Hatsune-san sounded hardly better.

"Neru-chan?" queried Miku.

The turquoise-headed girl was sat, once more, on Neru's sofa. She was wearing a green dress of Neru's, with black leggings. Her hair was tied back in two twin tails.

She looked very cute, even for a robot.

In fact, if Neru had not known Miku were a vocaloid, she would have assumed – instinctively – that the girl was human.

Nobody would know the difference.

Unless, of course, Miku began asking questions.

"Do you want anything to eat?"

"Hn? Eat?" Miku swung her legs back and forth, like a pendulum. "I've never eaten anything before."

Saying things as that would, of course, notify anyone with half a brain that Miku was not, despite appearances, anything like a normal, human girl.

"You've never eaten anything before?" Neru looked on at Miku in confusion. "But I thought… How do you, um… Get enough energy to _move_?"

"I'm solar powered, dummy!~"

If Neru had been in an anime, doubtless she would have been 'sweatdropping' at that moment.

As it were, it was not an anime.

Instead, the blonde sighed.

It seemed Neru was equally as bamboozled by Miku as the vocaloid was of her.

"Of course. Solar powered. I should have guessed," said Neru, with a humourless laugh. "How silly of me. _Everything's _environmentally friendly nowadays, huh."

Miku smiled. She seemed not to understand the sarcasm.

"Yes," the vocaloid agreed eagerly. "And I can store energy for an indefinite amount of time. You have nothing to worry about."

"Yippee."

It was spoken humourlessly.

* * *

**a.n: another chapter, la~**

**it is longer than the last one XD**

**i wonder how long this whole story will be, tho, hmn.**

**maybe like 15 chapters?**

**read and review, plox?**


	4. Food

**Words of Love**

Chapter Four

'Food'

* * *

Akita Neru was dreaming.

It was a very good dream, too.

At any rate, her subconscious fantasy-land was far more preferable to reality. Neru's life had taken quite the odd turning as of late; what with Miku, and the prospect of losing her lifelong dream looming on the horizon.

Just one of those occurrences would have been enough to disrupt Neru's life.

Both of them happening at once was just not fair.

It was all too much.

Yesterday, Neru's life had changed so dramatically she hardly recognised it as her own anymore. Everything tipped upside down on its axis, and was making the poor blonde feel quite confused and sick of it all.

Of course, some people might say that Neru was over-reacting. A lot of people had dreams. Hardly anyone became famous. So get over it.

But to Neru, the idea of never becoming an idol and, instead, spending the rest of her life behind a desk writing articles about missing cats for the cruddy local newspaper was a horrifying one. She would rather have gouged out her eyes with a spoon.

And then, the addition of Hatsune Miku, on top of all this stress and worry, was yet another, unneeded, titanic-sized dollop of stress on worry that was slowly making Neru go insane.

Therefore, in conclusion, being asleep was preferable to being awake.

Dreamland was a nice, forgiving place, where worries melted away and the clouds were made of cotton candy.

(Unless, of course, dreamland took a psychedelic trip into nightmare alley, where everything wanted Neru dead ((or, at the very least, alive and in excruciating amounts of pain)), the sky was blood red and the world was ruled under the iron fist of the tyrannical Kagamine Rin.

Thankfully, Neru rarely had nightmares.)

Currently, in Neru's dream world, she was standing on stage, singing.

The overhead lighting flashed, Neru winked, and the crowd roared.

"Neru! Neru! Ne~ru!~"

The blonde smiled stupidly, and curled over in her bed. With her arms wrapped around a pillow and the 'my common sense went to die in a ditch' expression of empty euphoria on her face, Akita Neru looked quite cute.

Content.

"Neru-chan! Neru-chan!"

But, unfortunately, not for long.

The happy oasis of calm, which had descended upon Akita Neru's bedroom the moment the blonde's head touched the pillow, was about to be shattered.

"Neru-chan! Wake up!"

But Neru had not woken up.

Hatsune Miku soon decided to rectify_ this_.

With a panicked cry of 'Neru-chan! Don't die!', the Vocaloid scrambled onto the bed (effectively sticking her knee in Neru's stomach, and elbow in Neru's mouth as she did so), took hold of Neru's shoulders, and began to bash Neru's head up and down on the pillow.

Half-through through this act of violence (probably when Miku's knee made contact with the soft, fleshy expanse of Neru's stomach – unprotected, save for a yellow duvet and Neru's own yellow nightdress), the blonde's eyes had already snapped open, and she began screeching; no doubt having mistaken Miku for a burglar of some kind.

A very inept burglar, at that.

After all, what self-respecting burglar would enter their victim's bedroom, and then proceed to smash their head against the pillow and shout 'wake up!' at a volume measuring roughly 200 decibels?

Of course, Neru's brain was very hazy and sleep-addled, so this did not instantly occur to her.

"Get off! Get off!" Neru screamed.

At the same time, Miku cried "Yay! Neru-chan isn't dead!" and tried to give Neru a hug.

There were more shouts, and some frenzied scuffling took place, before both Miku and the duvet were thrown roughly off the bed, and landed in a tangled heap on the floor.

Neru sat bolt upright – just as people do in horror movies, after some terrifying nightmare.

Her chest was heaving up and down, her face was flushed, and her pupils had dilated into little pin-pricks of fright and confusion.

Tentatively, Neru began to inspect herself for any cuts or bruises.

The girl could see, in her peripheral vision, a flurry of movement; of girl disentangling herself from duvet.

"Neru-chan! What's wrong?" asked Miku worriedly. She tried to take Neru's hand, but the blonde batted it away irritably. "Neru-chan, you were screaming. Are you okay-?"

Neru's expression had slowly shifted from one of complete bewilderment, to red-hot rage.

Miku wisely noted the warning signs, and fell silent.

Neru took a deep breath.

"Don't wake me up like that, you MORON!" Neru suddenly screamed. Her face was beet red once more- which, of course, only made her angrier. "I thought you were going to kill me or something! Oh my god! Ohmygod…"

She had begun to hyperventilate.

"N-neru-chan…?"

"GET OUT!"

"Oof!"

Neru had thrown a pillow at Miku.

* * *

"Neru-chan, I'm sorry," apologised Miku most humbly. She gave the blonde a small bow. "I did not mean to cause you any distress."

"Mmf." Neru scowled, and took an excessively violent bite of her apple. It crunched most impressively.

The strange pair were sat the kitchen table.

Neru was devouring her poor, poor apple in a series of quick, angry bites. A cup of black coffee was stood near her arm, ready to be drunk.

The blonde had changed out her nightdress, and was now clad in a plain white shirt and black skirt. Her hair was still messy, and stuck out from her scalp at odd angles, much like the scarecrow's from '_The Wizard of Oz'_. As Neru had so much hair, it made quite the impressive sight.

Miku was sat opposite her, not eating (of course). Instead, she was chasing leftover crumbs of bread about the tabletop, and looking humble.

Miku had spent last night asleep on the sofa. There was not enough room for two people in Neru's bed, after all.

That much had been demonstrated by Miku's unorthodox wake up call.

"Neru-chan, I am sorry," Miku reiterated. "Really."

"Hmph."

Neru crunched her apple again.

She was getting rather sick of this ridiculous situation.

Briefly, Neru thought of telling Miku to leave. It would make her life less complex. Miku was only a distraction – she would hinder her bet with Meiko. And Neru's future was more important than some creepy robot runaway with no social etiquette.

Maybe she could take Miku and out, and ditch her somewhere?

Leave her in the cold and the snow.

This thought was so cruel Neru quashed it instantly.

It made her feel ill.

Neru knew, sure as the knew the sky was blue, that she could not abandon the Vocaloid. It would be inhumane.

Miku _trusted_ Neru. A blind, childish trust, that Neru could not betray.

And this thought in itself made Neru feel queasy.

She couldn't be getting attached to that weird robot _thing_ already, could she? Not after a day? Such a development was far too fast- and it generally took Neru months to learn to like anyone.

But nobody had ever needed Neru as Miku had.

The turquoise-haired Vocaloid was running away from something, Neru could sense it.

And, in any case…

Miku's singing was so beautiful.

At the memory of her voice, Neru wished to hear it again- and this unnatural, bizarre emotion which the blonde could not quite put her finger on made her head spin and heart flop.

Angrily, she took another bite of her apple, and threw the core into the trash can.

_Ridiculous. I'm being ridiculous._

But this didn't stop her face flushing red.

With an annoyed grunt, Neru seized her coffee cup, and began to drain the boiling liquid – almost scalding her tongue as she did so.

At least it hid her stupid, traitorous face from sight.

If Miku caught a hint of Neru's conflicted emotions, she would surely ask questions again.

Awkward, unwanted questions, that didn't bear answering.

So Neru bottled her newfound spring of 'feelings' (whatever they may be), and buried them.

Metaphorically, of course.

Setting her facial expression into a façade of calm, Neru slammed her coffee cup back onto the table.

"Miku," said Neru. She took care to keep her voice level and controlled.

_Don't betray any feeling._

_It's too early to be asked questions._

As if to mock Neru, a flicker of pain buried itself, worm-like, into Neru's cranium.

She repressed a wince.

_Ow, my head hurts._

_And my stomach._

_Stupid idiot._

"What is it, Neru-chan?" asked Miku innocently.

"I'm going to work today. I want you to stay here. Don't go out, okay?"

Neru had, by this time, gotten to her feet. Her back to Miku, she picked up the cup, and began rinsing it under hot water. Neru did not have a dishwasher.

She didn't have a lot of things.

_Like a working brain,_ Neru's mind helpfully supplied.

Because when Kagamine Rin wasn't around to do it, Neru just had to go and insult _herself_.

"But Neru-chan! No!" Miku protested. Jumping from her seat, she reached Neru and took the girl's arm.

At the sudden human contact, Neru jumped, and almost dropped the cup.

Neru wished Miku were not so touchy-feely. It was unnerving. Neru wasn't used to be prodded and poked and tugged and hugged on such a routine basis. Hell, her _parents_ never even did that, not even when Neru had been very young- apart from, maybe, the odd pat on the head.

All this _touching_ was certainly new, and confusing, and Neru wasn't sure if she liked it.

Cursing internally, the blonde shut off the water, and whirled about to face Miku. She had to look up a little, of course (_fucking height difference blarrghhhh_ cursed inner-Neru.)

The turquoise-headed girl's eyes were large, and her lips were twisted up into a killer pout.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" Neru asked angrily, pushing Miku aside. "I said you were going to stay here, and that's final, okay? I thought you had to listen to what I told you?"

Neru stalked over to the couch, and flopped down, with the air of one who was supremely tired of the world and every creature residing upon it.

Even man-made creatures.

**Especially** man-made creatures.

Neru's outburst seemed to have surprised Miku, because she did not immediately follow; nor did she protest.

At least, not until a few seconds had elapsed, and it became clear Neru was no longer going to offer any input to the conversation.

"Neru-chan," said Miku softly, "Neru-chan, please don't leave me by myself. It'll be so lonely without you. I don't want you to leave! I need you!"

As much as Neru wanted to remain stoic and cold, she found – quite irritatingly – that…

Well.

She simply _couldn't_.

At the phrase 'I need you', her heart constricted in the most peculiar manner, and her cheeks began to heat up.

Nobody had ever needed Neru before.

But, Neru had to go to work. How else was she to pay for her lessons with Meiko? One-to-one tuition with 'the great Meiko' didn't exactly come cheap; and besides, even without lessons to pay for, she still needed money for the apartment, and food, and clothes.

And Neru could hardly take Miku with her.

Neru didn't want _anybody_ to know about Miku.

It was too weird, too hard to explain.

Introducing the friendly singing android to her friends would only make the situation seem even more unreal than before. Neru wanted her life to be normal, for God's sake, not, not-

Not like this.

"No, Miku," said Neru firmly. She remained impervious to Miku's pleas. "No. I have to go. And you have to stay here."

"Why?"

"Because I said so."

"That's not a reason."

"It's reason enough."

"B-but Neru-chan-"

"Don't 'Neru-chan' me!"

"N-no…" Miku reached out to stop Neru, who's fingers were now curled about the door handle. "I was just going to tell you, Neru-chan, that your hair looks… hn…" The vocaloid frowned, and racked her vocabulary banks for a nice, non-offensive way of phrasing her sentence. "Your hair looks terrible, Neru-chan! It's awful!"

It was then that Miku learnt a valuable life lesson.

Humans did not like being told the truth.

* * *

Neru sat at her desk. Her head was propped up by her hand.

She yawned.

Her monitor stared back at her. The MS Word document was still, stubbornly, empty. The black page almost seemed to be taunting her.

Neru considered shutting her laptop and going to sleep; the thoughts in her head were all melting together, and her brain felt very melty and swimmy and really quite funny.

She yawned again.

Neru worked at the local newspaper, a couple of days a week. Her normal work day consisted of typing up boring articles about potholes and missing cats that your average newspaper reader would just skim over, or else ignore completely.

Neru knew she sure did.

In other words, Neru's job was completely pointless.

_There really is no reason to write this article_, thought Neru absent-mindedly. _Nobody will read it. I should go to sleep._

_Sleep is nice._

But Neru could not go to sleep.

Primarily because her mind was focused completely upon a certain turquoise-haired robot.

Neru chewed her pen, and worried.

_What if she gets into trouble?_

_What if she leaves the house?_

_Well, if she leaves her house I'll kick her ass, granted, but…_

_She might get hurt._

_No, wait…_

Neru frowned, and exhaled heavily. Her blonde bangs were blown about in the breeze. With a defeated sigh (a sigh that clearly said 'I am not going to get any work done'), she fell back in her chair.

_Why do I even care?_

It was a valid question.

Neru rarely cared about other people- except, of course, Len.

Len was wonderful.

He was always so friendly to Neru, even when she snapped at him. He was rational, too, and good at problem-solving. He had a lot of common sense. He always held Rin back, or berated her for insulting Neru. And he always seemed very apologetic to Neru for Rin's behaviour.

_Hmn… Len-kun~_

Neru let her hazy, puddingy mind drift off in the Len-wards direction for a few happy minutes.

Len was the one person Neru cared about most.

When it came to everybody else, Neru was cautious. She certainly did not let random strangers effect her emotions so badly.

So why was Miku different?

_Why?_

"Akita-san. Earth to Akita-san."

Neru started at the voice.

She had grown so used to Miku addressing her by her first name, being addressed by her family name now sounded odd to Neru.

It was, with a very (almost miniscule) shred of melancholy, that Neru reflected over this fact; nobody knew her well enough to use her first name.

The only people who called her 'Neru' were Miki and Rin, and Rin did this only to annoy her.

"Yes?" said Neru, gathering her composure. "What is it?"

The girl who was addressing was had short purple hair, and equally purple eyes. Her voice was curiously robotic.

Her name was Defoko, and Neru did not like her very much.

"It looked like you were sleeping. I thought I should wake you up," said Defoko, in her usual automaton drone.

It was astounding, really. Miku, who was a robot, held more care and compassion in her little finger than Defoko held in her entire body.

_How ironic._

_Ha, ha._

"You should be writing," Defoko's drone continued. "I'm sure you do not get paid to sit around."

"Of course not. How kind of you to remind me," said Neru, through gritted teeth.

"It is no problem."

Neru stared at Defoko's back wordlessly, before shaking her head.

Sarcasm was lost on some people.

* * *

"I'm home!" Neru called out as she opened her door, for no real reason. It was mostly out of habit.

As a child, when she returned home from school, she would always let her parents know she was home. Otherwise, Neru's mother would fret.

Neru's mom had liked imagining gruesome scenes in which the young Neru, on her walk home from school, had, perhaps, slipped and broken her neck- or been assaulted by some creep with a sailor suit fetish- or suddenly become inflicted with amnesia.

Neru thought maybe these imaginings were the most fun her mother ever had.

It was, therefore, a great relief when she got her own apartment.

Even now, though, Neru still announced her arrival ('I'm home!')- although it was, generally, to an empty room.

This was the first time anybody had ever responded.

"Neru-chan! I missed you!"

That simple phrase made Neru's heart skip a beat. She felt all warm and melty.

It was nice, feeling wanted.

_Urgh, what is __wrong__ with you?_ Neru scolded herself. She winced at her own stupidity. And the fact that her cheeks were light pink.

At least they were not red.

Maybe the blush problem was getting better.

Neru had never even been unaware, until these past few days, that she had so much blood.

Miku ran forwards, with all the enthusiasm of a small child, and threw her arms round Neru's middle. Her hug was so powerful, it almost knocked the small, short Neru backwards.

"H-hey," Neru stuttered, trying to pry Miku from round her middle.

The girl clung on tighter, like a limpet.

"Miku…" A warning note had crept into Neru's voice.

"Oh!~" Miku gasped, as if suddenly aware of their proximity. "Sorry, Neru-chan! I was just so happy, I forget myself!"

"Well." Neru shifted uncomfortably. "Don't do that again."

Feeling incredibly embarrassed, Neru turned and shut the door, and kicked off her shoes. Next moving into the kitchen, the blonde deposited a few plastic bags onto the table.

Miku followed, transfixed.

"Hey, Neru-chan~" she queried, once it became apparent Neru was not going to elaborate on the curious bags. "What's in there?"

"Food."

Miku wrinkled her nose. "Blergh. How boring."

"Well, unlike you, _I _need to eat, you know," Neru shot back. Neru had to admit, though, the look on Miku's face was quite funny. Smiling to herself, Neru began to sort through the bags.

"Hey, Neru-chan! Neru-chan!"

"What is it?"

"You're smiling. That's the first time I've seen you do that all day!"

"S-shut up…" Neru bent her head low, stocking her bare shelves with various cans and packets. It felt weird, being studied so intently. Neru wondered why people were so desperate for companionship- it was making her feel embarrassed.

"Huh." Miku frowned, at Neru's sudden change in mood.

To Miku, humans were so _confusing._

Specifically; Neru was so confusing.

It was going to be fun, trying to become 'friends' with a carbon-based, bipedal life form _this_ complex…

Miku anticipated a challenge on the horizon.

"A-anyway," Neru cleared her throat. She looked about the kitchen a little nervously. Eventually, her gaze focused on her shoes. "I also thought, um… I know you don't need to eat, Miku, but is there any, um… rule, or something, that says you can't?"

It would have been easier, Neru reflected, if Miku had come with a guide book.

Funnily enough, Miku was thinking the same thing about Neru.

"Hmn," pondered the Vocaloid. She had taken a seat at the table. She swung her legs back and forth, thinking. "I don't think so. It wouldn't, like, _hurt_ me or anything. But I don't need to, so I don't see the point!~"

Well, it was a practical argument.

Neru would give her that.

"Well," said Neru. "Sometimes, people don't eat because they need to. They eat because they want to. You see?"

"Nope! Boy, humans are weird!"

"Well, it's like…" Neru paused, attempting to explain. "If humans feel sad, sometimes they eat food to make them feel better? Food that tastes nice?"

Neru had vague memories of lying under her duvet, sniffling, with a handy tub of ice-cream and some cookies by her side.

In fact, had Neru not found Miku, last night would probably have evolved into some sort of binge-eating spell itself. Neru had been depressed over her future prospects; especially after what Meiko said.

But when Miku was around, there wasn't any time to be depressed.

She was very tiring to be around.

"Hmn." Miku pondered Neru's words. They turned over in her brain for a while. "So you're saying… It's not the nutritional value, but the taste? That can make Neru-chan happy?"

"I guess so."

Miku beamed, and nodded her head. "Okay, I get it! I won't forget this piece of crucial information!"

Neru rubbed the back of her head, feeling sheepish. "Heh heh… It's not 'cruical', really… But…" Neru took the remaining bag of food and emptied the contents onto the table. "I was just wondering, as a whim... If there are any foods you would like?"

Miku blinked at the array of foodstuffs spread out before her. Most of it high in sugar content; ice cream and cookies and chocolate. They were all packaged in colourful, enticing wrappers. They certainly looked appealing, but…

The smell was making Miku feel a little nauseous.

"Eh, I don't know…"

"Come, please?" Neru asked. She pouted. "I bought it for you."

"Hn… Well…" A look of pained conflict fluttered across Miku's face. "Well, I suppose… if it's a gift from Neru-chan, it would be rude not to… Hngh." With a small moan, Miku reached forward – cautiously, as though the food may bite her – and blindly picked something up.

Miku read the label.

"Banana ice-cream?"

She said it as though it were something foreign and sinister. Her voice was suspicious.

"It's nice, I promise," Neru said, reaching into a drawer for a spoon. "You're like it. Here." She handed Miku the spoon.

"Huh." Was all Miku had to say on the matter.

Carefully, she took the lid of the tub, and gave the sticky, melty contents a cursory sniff.

To anyone else (especially a certain Kagamine twin) it would have smelt delicious.

To Miku, it was… nothing short of disgusting.

But she would try it – just a little bit – because it was a present, and a present from Neru made Miku feel quite grateful. No matter how disgusting it smelt.

_I liked the clothes Neru-chan picked for me, _Miku reasoned with herself. _And I like her apartment-house! Neru-chan has good taste. I'm sure it will be… heheh… delicious…_

Slowly, with deliberate caution, Miku pinched the spoon between her thumb and index finger, and dipped it into the tub of 'ice cream'.

It smelt of road kill.

With a wince, Miku lifted the spoon, and placed it into her mouth.

Silence reigned in the kitchen for some ten seconds.

And then Miku threw the spoon onto the floor in apparent disgust.

Her eyes widened, and she slapped a hand to her mouth.

"Neru-chan is trying to poison me!"

The blonde herself was torn between being upset/angry that her gift had not been appreciated, and amused at the betrayed tones of Miku's voice.

In the end, the humour aspect won, and Neru found herself laughing – really laughing – for what had to have been the first time in ages. In fact, it would not have been an over-exaggeration at all to say 'years'.

Neru's childhood had not exactly been 'fun', neurotic mother and all.

"Neru-chan, I need some water! Water!" Miku gabbled.

Neru was too busy laughing to pay her any heed.

With a squeak of agony, Miku darted from the table, towards the sink. Fumbling round in cupboards – moving tins and cans and plates and bowls – she finally found a cup.

With a relieved gasp, Miku filled the cup with water, and drained it.

Then she poured another cup.

And another.

And another.

Finally, the turquoise-headed girl was left, leaning against the countertop, gasping as though she had run a marathon.

"Neru-chan is so mean!" Miku complained, tugging weakly at Neru's tie. "Neru-chan, I could have _died_! It felt like I was going to _die_! Why are you…" Miku paused in her angry tirade, and took a good, long look at Neru.

The blonde continued to weakly splutter, despite her best wishes.

"You're smiling," Miku said, after a brief, incredulous pause. "Why are you laughing?"

Neru grinned back, quite unable to stop herself.

"You," she offered, as an explanation for her sudden joy. "You're so funny. I'm laughing at you."

"I… made Neru-chan smile?"

Neru nodded.

All of a sudden, Miku felt lighter.

Happier.

She had made Neru smile.

Making getting to know her would not be so very challenging, after all.

* * *

**a.n: how cute and fluffy XD these two are so desudesudesu :3**

**i was going to wait a while to update this, but i had inspiration now, and i didn't want to waste it XD**

**this chapter is just building up their relationship a little.**

**no major plot points here yet.**

**also, i love defoko c:**

**just ignore neru, she hates everyone XD**

**in the next chapter, there will be plot.**

**and more characters.**

**and CONFLICCTTT.**

**oooh c:**

**hope you look forward to it ^^;;**

**if you like this story, review, plz?**

**it'll make me write faster XD**

**renahhchen oxoxoxo**


	5. Shopping

**Words of Love**

Chapter Five

'Shopping'

* * *

Yawning, Neru stretched, arching her back like a cat's. Her spine cracked unpleasantly; an ominous-sounding noise that made the blonde wince.

Her early-morning shot of caffeine had already been drained. The cup was sat in the sink, alongside dirty dishes and glasses in a pool of grimy water.

Neru would clean them later.

Maybe.

Unless Miku got to them first.

Even now, at eight in the morning, the turquoise-headed girl was eyeing up the overflowing sink. Her lower lip was stuck out, and her eyes were narrowed. Unknowingly, her fingers began to tap a discordant melody on the table-top.

It was quite amusing, really.

Over the past few days, Neru had come to realise that Miku did not like mess. The vocaloid felt strangely obliged to tidy and dust and clean every chance she got. Yesterday, she went so far as to rearrange Neru's sock drawer by order of size and color.

It was no so much that Miku liked cleaning. Rather, she felt duty-bound to help Neru; probably because she saw it as her 'duty'.

Well, Neru sure wasn't complaining.

"So," said the blonde, yawning again. She stifled it with her hand. "I was thinking, we should go somewhere today-"

Neru did not get a chance to finish, before Miku interrupted enthusiastically. Her disdain over the dishes evaporated on the spot, like a watery puddle on a sunny day.

"You're taking me out?" she squealed. "Yay! I get to go out with Neru!"

Miku had not been outside of Neru's house since the moment she arrived. The only memories she had of the outside world were vague, blurry and unpleasant. She could recall the alley, and the snow, and that was about it.

"Don't get so excited," said Neru. She waved her hands, in a shushing gesture. "It's not really that great. I hate snow."

"I think it's exciting!"

"Yes, well, when you've lived in the same part of the world for a few years you soon get bored," said Neru. Her tone was exasperated, but she could not help smiling. "Mainly, it's just the same stupid people, bad weather, and a bunch of ugly buildings."

"But I'm sure, if I experience these things with Neru-chan, it will be fun. I like being with Neru~"

"Haha, yeah… Well." Neru coughed. She tried to dispel the strange fluttering sensation in her stomach. "I thought I should take you clothes shopping. You can't keep wearing my old stuff."

"Really? Neru-chan is so kind! But I don't want to spend too much on me…"

"It doesn't matter. I'm rich."

Miku's eyes widened. She leant forward. "Ooh… Really?"

"Nope! But let's~ just~ pretend I am."

At the word 'pretend', Neru moved forwards across the table, and – stealthily – reached out, flicking Miku on the nose with her thumb and index finger.

Miku recoiled, giving Neru an affronted look.

"What was that for?"

"I'm threatening you." Neru narrowed her eyes, affixing Miku with a super-stern, 'no nonsense' look, that could send a grown man running away in tears. "If you don't shut up and stop worrying, there'll be plenty more of that coming."

"Neru-chan is so mean sometimes! You shouldn't resolve your problems with violence!"

"Aww, c'mon, I hardly touched you."

"But the pain you have left in my heart will last a lifetime!"

Neru stuck out her tongue in reply.

Stretching once more, spine popping, she got up from her seat. She paused by Miku's chair to ruffle the vocaloid's hair (Miku let out a small, indignant 'hey!', and began patting it down again), and then continued on her way to the bathroom.

"Where are you going?" Miku asked inquisitively, turning in her chair.

"To get a shower, duhhh. What'd you think?" A thought occurred to Neru. "You need to shower too, right? Or would exposure to water make you, I dunno, melt or something?"

Neru had never paid much attention in physics, but she did remember one valuable life lesson; water plus electricity equalled general unpleasantness and/or death.

What _was _Miku made out of, anyway?

Miku frowned. She began tracing random patterns on the table top. "Shower? Is that the human activity whereupon you stand naked and hose yourself down with water?" She wrinkled her nose. "It sounds disgusting."

"Urgh." Neru slapped a palm to her face, and shook her head. It was another 'anime sweatdrop' moment, which were annoyingly commonplace around Miku. For a being who possessed an 'infinite capacity knowledge', she sure said some stupid things.

"Keeping yourself clean is pretty important, Miku," Neru explained, with the patience of someone teaching a child that one plus one is two. "If you don't, you'll get all dirty."

"I guess that… makes sense…" said Miku reluctantly. She still seemed unhappy with the concept of 'the shower'. "Your human methods are weird."

Neru rolled her eyes.

She had better things to do than stand around discussing _this_.

"Well, I'm going now-"

"No, wait!" Miku, who had gotten to her feet at this point, took Neru's arm. "I just had an idea! If I have to do this stupid, uhh, 'shower thing', then why don't I do it with you?"

Neru recoiled from the smiling girl in abject horror.

"What."

It was not a question. It was a statement of shock and disbelief and unease. A lot of emotion went into that one single 'what'. Neru liked to believe she had made a powerful statement.

"Well~" Miku pressed her index fingers together, and pouted. "I thought it sounded sensible. It'll save time, and you won't have to waste any more water! Plus…" Miku quickly glanced Neru up and down. The blonde took another step back. "You have quite long hair, Neru-chan. It must take ages to wash it by yourself."

A haze of red sprouted on Neru's cheeks.

"I-I've always managed okay before!" Neru stuttered. "Besides, people-"

Miku pointed at herself. "Not a person. Vocaloid."

Neru threw her arms up in despair. "You look pretty human-shaped to me, so forgive me if I count you as an honorary human for this one!"

"But I don't want to be human! Your processing powers are so slowww."

"And I don't want to share a shower with anything that _looks_ human!"

"Oh." Realisation slowly dawned upon the vocaloid. Her lips pulled into a frown, and she folded her arms. "Is this another of those weird 'human things' that make no sense, but I'm not allowed to question? Like eating? And eight hours sleep?" Miku shook her head. "Eight hours! I mean, seriously. I need to recharge, but not for that long! That's, like, half your life, doing _nothing_. Isn't that pointless?"

"Miku, if I don't sleep, I'll die."

"Then you are too weak and frail." A new type of frown came upon Miku. This one was full of concern. She bridged between herself and Neru with a few steps, and placed her hands on Neru's shoulders. "I worry about that, Neru-chan. That you could die so easily- from, I don't know, even falling down the stairs. Everything around you is trying to kill you! How have you survived for so long!"

"By _not_ falling down the stairs?"

Neru felt quite perturbed by this closeness. She tried, however, to effect a lofty, unconcerned air.

"Maybe I should come into the bathroom with you anyway, Neru-chan. You might slip and break your neck or-"

Neru pushed Miku away from her at this, and grasped the door handle firmly.

"NO, you pervert!"

Neru slammed the door behind her.

Miku stood on the other side, feeling very alone.

Had she done something wrong?

* * *

"Wow, it's so pretty~" Miku breathed, eyes wide with awe, head turning this way and that to take everything in.

It had been snowing the night before, and the thick, heavy, white coating on the ground did look rather pretty, Neru begrudgingly admitted. Like a scene from a Christmas card.

"Look, Neru-chan, look!" Miku cried excitedly. She giggled, and exhaled, watching the puff of cold air dance, waif-like, in front of her face.

"Yeah. That happens when it gets cold," said Neru, matter-of-factly. She raised an eyebrow. "It's not _that_ amazing."

"But it _is_~"

"Weirdo."

Miku stuck out her tongue, and gave Neru a little shove. "Don't be mean! You just can't appreciate the, uhn…" Miku paused, searching for a word. "Ah! The _beauty _of nature!"

"Beauty?" Neru glance about her; at the over flowing trashcans, the litter on the roads, and the ugly houses scrawled with graffiti. "Yep. Uh huhh. City life sure is beautiful, alright."

"You're too cynical."

"You're too optimistic."

"Then I guess we balance each other out! Aren't you happy you found me?" Miku giggled, linking arms with Neru.

The blonde tried to pull away, but Miku's grip was strong as iron (so she had super-strength now? Oh, sure, like _that _was playing fair). Neru flailed her arm limply, like a gently dying fish, but Miku's grip did not waver.

Eventually, Neru gave in. She stared resolutely at her shoes.

They were nice shoes, with smiley-face laces Teto had given her ("because you really don't smile enough, Neru-chan! They'll remind you to be happy! Like me! Kyah!")

Neru had always meant to take out those stupid shoelaces and put some nicer ones in, but she never did.

…Ah, that was better.

Thinking of banal subjects such as shoelaces was making her blush go down.

Hopefully, it would stay dead; although, that did not appear to be very likely, with Miku so close to her.

"W-what are you doing?" Neru asked, trying to sound angry.

"Making sure I don't lose you."

"I-idiot…"

* * *

"Neru-chan, I like this one! I like this one!" Miku was jumping up and down excitedly, pigtails bouncing. She was pointing eagerly at a white dress, ruffled at the bottom.

"I like it, too," Neru agreed, inspecting the dress. She checked the price tag. Her eyes widened.

_Oh my God, what do they think I am? A princess? Not _everyone _can afford stuff like this with crappy local-newspaper-journalist wages._

_Hnghh._

_I spend _hours _of my precious life writing about cats in trees and that one faulty traffic light by the park, and for what?_

_Nothing!_

Neru was beginning to feel acutely aware that she was much, much too cheap for this shop.

Most of her clothes had been given to her second-hand, or had been bought in charity stores and jumble sales.

The prettily made-up girl behind the counter, with blonde hair and pursed lips and a little nametag that said 'Hello! My name is Luna and I am happy to help!' stared at Neru in disdain (at least, in the paranoid Neru's brain, it looked like disdain).

Luna's weird rabbit-ear headband probably cost more than Neru's whole _wardrobe_- including both clothes and the actual, wooden wardrobe they came in.

"You know what," said Neru, rubbing the back of her head. She felt embarrassed; which, at the moment, seemed to be her normal frame of mind, right next to 'curiously flattered' and 'angry'. "I don't think this dress is really that good after all…"

"But I like it!"

"I know, but something else might suit you _more_."

"Is this about money?"

"N-no, of course not!" Pulling Miku closer to her, Neru hissed "don't talk about my financial problems in front of _that_." Neru jerked her head in Luna's direction. "She's already laughing at me."

Miku craned her neck in the Luna-wards direction.

"Actually, Neru-chan, I think she's reading a magazine."

"But inside she's judging me, I'm sure of it…"

"Neru-chan, you're paranoid."

Neru looked affronted. "A-am not!"

"And in denial."

"Arrghhh!"

Neru had not known until that moment that it was possible to scream quietly, but – somehow – she managed it.

Perhaps this was what a mental breakdown felt like.

"And, Neru-chan, if you really don't have that much money, I don't mind…" Miku began toying with her pigtails, as she was wont to do from time to time- usually when she feeling uneasy, Neru noted. "You really don't need to buy me expensive things. I don't want to be a burden."

"No, you're not a burden! Look, see, I'll prove it. I'll get you the dress."

"Neru-chan, you don't need to-"

But Neru had already seized the dress, and was marching, determinedly, to the counter.

Luna looked up from a particularly engaging article about shoes. At the sight of the frazzled-looking Neru, clutching the dress to her chest as though it were a lifeline, Luna raised an eyebrow, and wondered whether to call for security.

At the sight of the purse in Neru's hands, she thought otherwise.

* * *

"Neru-chan, you shouldn't have bought it for me," said Miku.

"Don't say that, or I might be tempted to take it back," Neru replied, with a grimace. "Oh my God, what was I _thinking_? No- why wasn't I thinking? Urgh…" The blonde rounded on Miku, eyes narrowed. "You better take damn good care of that dress, 'cause if you don't I'll make you wish you were never born."

"Created. Not born."

"Whatever!"

"But I am very happy you did get it for me," Miku smiled, and hugged her shopping bag to her chest. "Neru-chan is too kind!"

"Hey, wait a sec…"

Neru turned, and fixed Miku with a Glare to End All Glares. Those narrowed eyes and pursed lips would've been enough to make Jack the Ripper run away, crying for his mother; so imagine the effect it had on the distinctly non-English-mass-murderer Miku.

The turquoise-haired girl took a few steps back. Worry flitted across her eyes. She was, no doubt, in fear for her life.

"Miku," said Neru in a low, dangerous voice. "You didn't just _guilt-trip _me into buying this, did you?"

"I-I don't know what you mean…"

"Really?" Neru folded her arms. Oh, if looks could kill…

If only.

"I didn't, Neru-chan!"

"Then what was with that 'I don't want to be a burden' crap you pulled? You were trying to make me feel bad so I bought you this, weren't you? It doesn't matter how innocent you look, I can see right through you!"

Miku scuffed her shoes on the snowy floor. "U-um… Maybe I did just a little?" Her voice faltered.

"I knew it."

"Neru-chan?"

"I won't let you get away with this!" Neru declared, in the manner of one announcing war on a neighbouring country. A neighbouring country (i.e. Miku) which was now absolutely terrified. "You can't manipulate me like this anymore!"

"Kyahhh! Neru-chan's trying to kill me!"

Miku whirled about on the spot and began to run, still clutching her beloved dress.

"Get back here!" Neru called after her, as she began to run, likewise. The blonde was not too worried about making a scene- there was hardly anybody there, anyway. Neru had deliberately gone shopping as early as possible, in order to avoid people she may have known. It would have been… _awkward_ trying to explain Miku's origins to them.

'_Oh yeah, this girl? I found her in the middle of the street, naked, and did what any sane person would do and took her home! W-what do you mean, I'm a pervert? She's only tried to shower with me __once__ – h-hey, where are you going?"_

Hmn, yes.

That would go down well.

About as well as a tonne of bricks.

"Miku, you're going to be very sorry for taking advantage of me!" cried Neru, tearing after the rouge vocaloid at a record-breaking pace. Neru had been on the track team back at school, and was very, very good at it.

But, alas, Miku was just that one tiny bit better.

Being a robot, without the limitations humans had, was a big advantage.

Miku probably could have kept running for hours on end, without any signs of slowing down, because she did not feel fatigue like normal people; something the vocaloid was immensely glad of, because if Neru caught her she had a vague feeling the blonde would turn her into spare parts and screws.

"Neru-chan, we should try and _talk_ about our feelings! Violence is not the answer!"

"No, but it'll make me feel better!"

"That's a terrible excuse! You're a terrible human being!"

"Says you to the girl that just bought you a dress more expensive than a small country!"

"La la la I'm not listening!"

"Oh, real mature. Trying to ignore me isn't the answer, either!"

"La la la, I don't care, I don't- ouch!"

During her hasty escape, Miku had taken a second to look over her shoulder- and the few seconds of running blind had cost her dearly.

The turquoise-headed girl, charging onwards, had failed to notice the man in her way.

Now, the same man was no longer in her way.

He was sprawled on the floor, lying on top of the petite vocaloid in a rather incriminating manner. Miku's prized shopping bag had landed on the floor some three feet away but – luckily – the dress had not spilled onto the damp, wet ground.

"Miku-chan!" Neru cried out in alarm. The sudden collision had startled her almost as much as it had Miku- so much so, the honorific of endearment slipped out without her meaning it too.

The blonde ran forwards, faster than before, and pushed the man off Miku.

"Get off her!" Neru spat, resisting the urge to give this stupid guy a good kick as he lay on the floor.

For whatever reason, Neru did not like seeing Miku trapped underneath somebody else in such a way.

It made her blood boil.

Although…

It wasn't as though Miku couldn't take care of herself. She was stronger, and faster, and generally more hard-wearing than any other normal human on the planet. She would have been fine.

So why did Neru care so much…?

Just thinking about it was making the blonde's head hurt.

The blonde extended a hand for the vocaloid, and Miku took it. Neru hauled the girl to her feet.

"Thank you, Neru-chan," said Miku happily, giving the blonde a quick hug.

Neru's face went red, and she pushed the vocaloid away from her.

She didn't want to act so, um… _friendly_ in the street. Especially not with that weirdo creepy guy still hanging around. He was up on his feet.

"Sorry about that," apologised the man. He held the bag out to Neru, who snatched it without so much as a thank you.

She still felt pissed about the whole 'lying on top of my vocaloid' scenario.

_Wait a minute._

_Since when did I refer to Miku as __my__ vocaloid?_

_I mean, I know she is, technically, but this is a little too master-servant ecchi manga-esque for my liking._

In an attempt to distract herself from such errant, unwanted thoughts (and to curb the blush threatening to devour her face), Neru gave the peculiar man a quick glance up and down.

He was quite tall, was Neru's first thought. He was dressed in very expensive-looking clothes, too. The quality of them was obvious, despite the grey snow-slush that was splattered across the white shirt and tight pants. Neru supposed, begrudgingly, that the man was what many girls would consider attractive- not that Neru wanted to be complimentary to Miku's attacker. His eyes were lined with eyeliner, that made them stand out. His hair was long, silky and purple, tied at the back in a ponytail. It seemed to dance about the wind most gracefully when he moved.

Neru felt very, very jealous of that hair.

This guy was prettier than most girls Neru had ever seen!

Neru glowered.

Even though he was (indisputably) handsome, he was probably a jerk.

That thought made her feel slightly better about herself, and her own appearance, which was nothing short of haggard compared to this shining example of radiance, beauty, etc, etc.

He didn't even look human.

More like a living, breathing, airbrushed photograph.

"What do you want?" Neru asked the photograph harshly, hands on hips. The look she gave him was withering.

Neru had a lot of angry faces at her disposal. Many were so scary the poor, unfortunate person to be affixed with such a look would need to take pills and see a doctor before they were able to life their lives normally again.

To Neru's disgust, the purple-haired guy just laughed.

It was a perfect, laugh, too, to match his white, white teeth.

Neru had never felt more like punching someone in the face.

Miku did not seem to like him either. She had half-hidden herself behind Neru (a laughable idea, considering Neru was so short), and her fingers entwined themselves with Neru's.

Miku was shaking.

"I'm Kamui Gakupo," the Miku-molesting pervert said, with a smile and wink, "but you can call me Gakupo. What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" said Neru harshly. Her hand gripped Miku's a little tighter, waiting for the vocaloid to stop shivering.

She didn't.

Neru knew it was cold, but Miku was unaffected by external temperatures like she was.

The only viable reason for her shaking had to be fear.

But, why was she afraid of Mr. Pin-Up Model? He was a tool, yeah, but didn't look _dangerous._

Maybe Miku just felt uncomfortable with people that weren't Neru?

That thought made Neru feel very warm.

Gakupo laughed again. "Indeed. Why should you tell me? You've never met me before."

"Exactly. So get lost and leave us alone."

"Oh~" he sighed theatrically, placing his hand on his forehead. "And here I was, hoping maybe I could treat you two girls for a meal? Considering I so rudely bumped into you. I just want to apologise…"

He had turned the charm dial up a level. Neru knew a lesser girl would have given into that pretty face and disarming smile already, but the blonde was resolute.

She would rather date _Rin _than this guy.

"I see, however, that the meal is not an option," said Gakupo. "No matter. But I'm sure we'll see each other again. Bon voyage."

Neru watched his retreating back with a frown.

"Urgh. I hate people like that," said Neru.

She waited for Miku to agree with her, but it did not come. Miku still held onto Neru's hand, trembling, looking nothing short of petrified. Even more so than when Neru had threatened her about the clothes.

"Miku," said Neru softly. She peered up into the vocaloid's face, which was hidden by turquoise bangs. "Miku, are you okay? That guy's gone now. He won't hurt you."

"I know…" said Miku softly. "I-I know that."

"He won't hurt you," Neru continued, giving her hand a squeeze, "because I'm here! I'll protect you! Don't worry."

Miku looked up at this, her eyes wide and starry. Her eyebrows shot upwards in surprise, almost meeting her hair-line.

"Really, Neru-chan? You would really do that? For me?"

"I promise."

"Neru-chan…" A smile broke out on the vocaloid's face. "Thank you. You really are so very kind."

"Y-yeah, well…" That blush had begun to spread again- like some disease. Neru released Miku's hand, and began to put some distance between them. She coughed. "Don't get all sentimental about it. It's nothing, really."

"Of course," said Miku, but she was still smiling. "It's nothing."

Neru looked away, and flushed red.

* * *

"Yay, Neru-chan, Neru-chan!~ It looks so cute on you," Miku beamed. Miku had long since gotten over her Gakupo-related worries- trying on and buying so many clothes had driven the thought almost clean out of her mind.

"Ah? Really?" Neru asked, folding her arms. She felt very self-conscious, being praised by Miku.

She was wearing some weird outfit Miku had picked out for her. It comprised of a silver shirt, yellow tie, and black-and-yellow miniskirt.

"I look like a bee," said Neru, voice deadpan. She tugged at the hem of her skirt, which was a little too short for her liking. If she ever wore this outfit, she'd _definitely _need some shorts underneath…

"I think Neru-chan makes a very cute bee."

"Shut up!" Neru whined. She took hold of Miku's pigtails, and began to tug at them. "I still haven't forgiven you for making me buy that dress, you know?"

"Argh! Neru-chan is so violent!"

"I'll punish you later," Neru said softly, whispering in Miku's ear. She let go of the pigtails, and gave Miku a poke in the side for good measure.

Miku squealed accordingly.

"Anyway…" Neru frowned, and looked at her reflection in the fitting mirrors. She tugged at the skirt a few more times, willing it to cover more flesh. "We were meant to be shopping for you, not me."

"But I already have a load of stuff!" Miku protested. "Neru-chan, you should buy yourself something, too."

"Even so, it's not as though you'd be treating me," sighed the blonde. "I'm still the one who has to pay for this."

"It'll make you feel better."

"In other words: it will make me feel better if you buy something, too, so then I won't feel as greedy."

Miku gasped. "Neru-chan, how did you know? Are you psychic?"

"Nooo," drawled the blonde. She gave Miku another prod in the side. "Just better at reading people's emotions than _you_, you ditz."

"Humph. That's not true. I know some things."

"Like what?" Neru raised an eyebrow. Her arms were folded.

"Like, I know Neru-chan will blush if I do _this_."

And, quick as a flash, Miku moved forwards, gave Neru a quick kiss on the cheek, and then scampered off.

"I'm just going to find more clothes for you to try on kaythanksbye!"

Neru could only stand there, rooted to the spot. Without her realising it, her fingers had come to rest upon the cheek Miku had kissed. At the memory, Neru's stomach twisted into knots, and her hearts jumped into her mouth. A funny feeling spread through her body; she felt very, very embarrassed and stuttering and maybe, even, just a tiny bit touched.

Neru's cheeks burned red.

At the flood of warmth in her face, Neru was snapped back into reality. She even remembered to be angry.

"Hey!" she shouted, after the hastily retreating lvocaloid. "What the hell was that for? Come back, you coward! I demand an explanation!"

* * *

Some four hours after the pair had arrived in town, they were now ready to go home. Both of them were weighed down with shopping bags upon shopping bags. Miku was holding most of them. The lion's share of the clothes was, after all, hers. Plus, Miku was stronger than Neru. Neru did not like admitting people were stronger than her, and had spent several years learning kickboxing so she could defend herself if anything untoward was to happen. But it was true- Miku was far more powerful.

Not that it was immediately obvious.

"We sure bought a lot, didn't we, Neru-chan?"

"Yeah. And I sure spent a lot," moaned Neru. The thought of her monetary crisis was beginning to give her a headache. "It's a good job you don't eat, Miku, or we'd be living off baked beans for a week."

"It was fun though, wasn't it," Miku smiled dreamily. "I like going out with you, Neru-chan."

Neru tried to remain cool and aloof; "It's not like we did anything _too_ special. Don't get so excited." Contrary to her words, however, Neru was secretly happy.

Neru was rarely happy, so this was quite the achievement.

Somehow, Miku saw through the harsh words, and found the joy hidden in between the sarcasm.

Slowly, it was becoming easier for the vocaloid to understand Neru's bizarre, up-and-down mood swings.

"Do you think we could go out like this again some time?"

Neru shrugged.

"I would enjoy that. And I think you would, too, Neru-chan."

Neru had to think about this statement for a little while.

How long had it been since she had gone out with friends and enjoyed herself- truly been cheerful?

…She couldn't remember.

But it wasn't like she was going to admit this to Miku.

"I don't really care," said Neru coolly. "It doesn't make any difference to me."

Miku smiled devilishly. Neru did not like that look. It did not suit the cute, innocent Miku. The blonde decided maybe Miku was not quite as sweet as the looked.

"Hehehe," Miku giggled. "Then why did you go all fluttery and blush-y when I kissed you, Neru-chan?"

At these words, Neru halted.

She turned, and glared at Miku.

Inside, her heart was thumping.

"Yes, why did you do that?" Neru exclaimed. Her hands balled into fists. "I only blushed because I was _surprised_, okay!"

"You're blushing right now."

"No I'm not!" Neru lied; though it was futile. Miku had already seen. She wiped her sleeve against her face, as though this would wipe the tell-tale pink stains off. Of course, it didn't. "And anyway, it was really weird! You don't just kiss people out of the blue like that, and you can only kiss them if you know for sure they like you!"

Miku's eyes widened. A hurt look spread across her face.

"You don't like me, Neru-chan?"

"I do like you, but that doesn't mean I want to kiss you!"

"Who don't you want to kiss, Neru-san?"

The blonde jumped.

The voice which had just injected was certainly not Miku- not unless she was a very good ventriloquist, because her mouth had been closed at the time. But the voice had not belonged to a girl. It had been a boy's.

Neru would know that voice anywhere.

She turned about 180 degrees, feeling more self-conscious than she had done trying on clothes with Miku.

There, standing right in front of her, was the smiling, if slightly confused looking, Kagamine Len.

Neru felt her heartbeat speed up, and her cheeks, which had been pink before, were positively scarlet by now.

"A-ah," she said, voice cracking. "Um… Hello, Len-kun." She waved, then felt stupid, and stopped. Her arm flailed around in the air indecisively, not sure what to with it. Eventually, she shoved it into her pockets.

"Hello, Neru-san," said Len. "What were you talking about?" He grinned playfully. "Have you been kissing anyone lately, Neru?"

"N-no!" Neru exclaimed, shaking her head. "God no! We – um, me and my friend - were just having a discussion about, um… Something. That's all."

"I was wondering about this, also. Who is your friend?" asked Len inquisitively. He glanced over Neru's shoulder at Miku.

Miku was pouting, arms folded. She didn't look very happy; probably because her teasing of Neru had been derailed by this newcomer. She looked untrustingly at Len, and crept a little closer to Neru.

Neru stepped away quickly.

She did not want to appear too close to this random girl whom Len had never met.

"She's my friend," said Neru, willing her voice to stop shaking and her face to stop blushing.

God- this _always _happened when she was with Len.

It was so humiliating!

Why couldn't she act like a _normal _person?

"That's weird. I've never seen her before."

"M-my pen-friend!" Neru gabbled. She floundered about hopelessly, trying to make her lie seem credible. "We were talking to each other online, and she decided to come and visit me."

"Cool," said Len. "I didn't know you had a pen friend. Although, I guess you use your cell phone all the time… Maybe this is who you've been talking to?"

Neru gave a nervous laugh. "Haha… Yeah."

"Aww. I'm jealous," Len laughed. "So, what's your name? I'm Kagamine Len, by the way- Neru-san's friend."

"Hatsune Miku," replied Miku. Her face was still thunderous. The girl had decided she did not like this Len person very much at all.

It felt like he was trying to take Neru away from her. And, the worst part of it was, Neru seemed more than willing to dump Miku for this guy!

What was so special about him, anyway?

He was just another boring human life form, with two arms and two legs and a head, nose, eyes, ears and mouth.

Oh, and some pretty crazy, spiked-up blond hair.

But Miku's hair was long and turquoise and even awesome-er!

Why was Neru getting so emotional over this stupid guy, who didn't even know her well enough to use the honorific '-chan'?

It sucked.

"Neru-chan," said Miku, tugging at Neru's sleeve. To Miku's disdain, Neru batted her hands away. Miku was sure she would not have done this if _Len _wasn't there. "Neru-chan, we have to go home. We need to put this shopping away."

"Really?" Len looked upset. "That's a shame. I haven't spoken to you in ages, Neru-san. I thought we could go and bite to eat, catch up on what's been happening…"

"No." Miku said it harshly. Neru had never heard her sound so adamant, or so angry. "Neru-chan, let's go."

"Geez, Miku-san, don't get so worked up!" Neru scolded, trying to push the clingy vocaloid away. "Len-kun's a nice person."

Miku frowned. "Really…"

The fact that Neru had downgraded her to 'Miku-_san_' in this boy's presence had hurt.

"Len-kun, we would love to go out with you," said Neru, smiling.

"Great," Len beamed back. "We'll just have to wait here for Rin, and then-"

At the name 'Rin', Neru's face went white. She looked pale as a sheet. Miku wondered, with concern, if she was sick.

"What." Neru sounded confused. "Wait a minute, I didn't know Rin was coming too?"

"Yeah. I forgot to mention it. Sorry," Len looked apologetic. "I just didn't know it was that important?"

"N-no, I don't mind…" Neru's voice trailed off. It was obvious, from the crestfallen look on her face, and the barely-audible upset tone to her voice, that Neru did care. Tremendously.

Len hadn't noticed, but Miku had.

Miku had been living with Neru for almost a whole week; of course she knew the blonde better than him.

Miku frowned.

She did not like the thought of sharing her master with _anyone_, least of all this spiky-haired boy who knew nothing of Neru's personality, called her 'Neru-**san**' and was completely ignorant to Neru's feelings!

"So, about Rin-san…" said Neru, trying to keep the hatred out her voice. Len knew Neru disliked Rin, but he did not know just how vast and expansive her dislike really was. Neru wanted to keep it that way. "Where is she? Did you come here together?"

"Yeah. She dragged me here a few minutes ago. I think she wants to go shopping." Len scratched his nose idly. "She said something about needing an outfit for some performance thing- but then she saw Teto or Gumi or someone and went off to talk to them."

At the word 'performance', Neru's mind went back a couple of weeks. She remembered Meiko saying something about it- something like 'I want all of you to make a singing/dancing routine and show it to me, to help me judge how well you're all doing.'

Didn't Meiko say there would be a group of people from Yamaha Corporation would be there, looking for the most talented girls?

_Oh shit!_

_Fuckfuckfuck!_

Neru had forgotten about that completely.

This was going to be her big chance- to show everyone what she could do- and she only had a few weeks left to perfect a routine and she hadn't even done anything yet!

Neru supposed the danger threatening her future as an idol, plus the sudden arrival of Miku, had driven it out of her head.

But she remembered now.

_God, I'm so __stupid_.

Neru began to tremble; not from the cold (she was warmly wrapped up in her coat and scarf) but from dread- pure, undiluted dread.

Her dream of being a famous singer was on the lines, and she was letting that dream slip away, because she was so useless.

Neru felt sick.

"Neru-chan!" Miku said in alarm. She appeared at the blonde's side instantly, and glanced up at her face; rigid with worry. "Neru-chan, are you okay? What's wrong?"

"I would have thought it is _obvious _what's wrong," said Kagamine Rin coldly. "She is upset because she has no talent, and is going to fail."

Miku whipped her head around. Her green eyes met the icy blue of Kagamine Rin's.

Rin was another rather pretty person- though not quite as beautiful as Gakupo. She was reasonably short (though still taller than Neru. In fact, Miku had yet to see another person shorter than Neru).

Rin's blonde hair did not even brush her shoulders, and was adorned with red ribbons. She wore earmuffs and a scarf; yet, for some reason, had coupled this winter wear with a yellow plaid skirt and knee high socks.

Miku wondered briefly if she was cold at all, because Neru had been complaining bitterly about the weather and she was wearing pants, with two pairs of leggings underneath.

Then, Miku remembered Rin's words, and decided she did not very much care if she was cold or not.

Miku would have been happier if Rin had been frozen into a Popsicle.

Despite Rin's pretty face, there was something very unsettling about it… Her eyes were narrowed, lined with thick lashes, and her lips were pulled into a smirk.

She looked nothing short of cruel.

Miku had not particularly liked Len, but he was _nothing _compared to this girl, and the cold aura that surrounded her.

At that moment, Rin was looking Miku up and down; in the same manner Miku was studying her.

"Who are you?" asked Rin. Her arms were folded.

"Hatsune Miku," replied Miku. "I'm Neru-chan's pen-friend."

"Oh really?" Rin adopted a look of false astonishment. "Neru-chan has _friends_? I never would have guessed! Although…" She smirked. "It makes sense you would only be a pen-friend; you must never have met our lovely little Neru-chan in person before." Rin flipped strands of honey-blonde hair over her shoulder. "After spending more than one hour with her, you'll realise she has such a short temper, and is in general very unlikable. Then you'll think of Neru-chan the same way I do. And everyone else does. Hehehe~"

At these cruel words, Neru felt her face getting pinker and pinker.

Anger coursed through her body; that uncontrollable rage that made her want to hurt people, to get them to stop and leave her alone.

But the shame and humiliation and misery far outweighed the rage.

Neru bowed her head, meshed her fingers together, and said nothing.

In front of Len and Miku – two people Neru actually liked - the goading felt worse than normal.

If Len had not been there, Neru would probably have attacked Rin. But how could she now, at this moment, with Len standing right there? Rin was Len's twin sister, and Len loved her; it would not make Neru look very good, losing control and punching Rin in the face.

"Rin," said Len, softly. Even he seemed a little surprised at the severity of his sister's words. "Don't be so mean to Neru-san. She's my friend!"

"Yeah!" cried Miku. She seemed to be warming to Len just a little, now. At least he had stood up for Neru. "Neru-chan is my friend, too, and if you stand around insulting her like that you'll be sorry!"

"That's quite doubtful," said Rin scornfully. She turned to Len, and took hold of his sleeve. "Come on, Len-kun. We don't want to waste time talking them."

"Actually," said Len, "I asked Neru-san and Hatsune-san if they would like to join us. I thought we could get something to eat from that café."

Rin seemed to ponder this for a while.

After a few seconds, her eyes lit up, like Christmas tree lights. They sparkled, though not with joy.

It was malice.

Her lips curled upwards into a nasty smile.

"Oh you did? Well, I suppose I'll have to tag along." Rin directed her gaze at Miku. "Won't this be fun? I can you alllll sorts of interesting things about Neru-chan~ Hehehe~"

Neru felt very, very sick.

She didn't want to go anywhere with Rin. The girl was vitriolic, and manipulative.

But the hopeful look on Len's face, as he turned and said "Are you coming, Neru-san?" made the blonde's heart clench, then spasm, and her body fill with love.

She couldn't say no now.

* * *

"U-um, w-what would you l-l-like?" asked the jittery, nervous waitress. Her crimson eyes glanced about the café in desperation, as though hoping somebody else would come and take the order for her.

She seemed to very shy, for some reason, and Miku sympathised with her.

"I'll think I will have… Hmn…" Rin surveyed the menu in her hands. Her yellow fingernail polish seemed to glow under the harsh lighting. "I think I'll have a slice of carrot cake and some orange juice."

"Banana ice-cream and banana milk shake, thanks~!"

"Tehe, Len~" giggled Rin. "Ice-cream? You're such a kid."

"Kaito-kun likes ice-cream, too," said Len, folding his arms.

"Exactly," said Rin, rolling her eyes. "And look _howww_ super-adult he is."

"I'm not a kid! Everyone says I'm the mature one!"

"Yes, but I'm five minutes older than youuu~ That means you're my tiny little brother, and you have to listen to everything I say."

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

Neru frowned at the warring siblings, jealous. She wished she were that close to Len. It seemed hardly fair, that someone like Rin should have such a nice young brother.

"E-excuse me, m-miss?"

Neru jumped, and turned about. It was the shy-looking waitress; shuffling from one foot to the other, obviously unsure what to do. She almost looked as though she were going to cry.

Or maybe she was just one of those people that always looked miserable.

People told Neru she looked unhappy a lot.

Miku was one of them.

"Miss, are you ready to order?"

"I'll just have a green salad and some water," said Neru. Her stomach was churning too much to eat anything more substantial; she didn't want to throw up.

That would _not _look good.

"Okay, and you?" the waitress turned to Miku.

The turquoise-haired girl wrinkled her nose.

Already, the smell of food was making her feel queasy- and the sight of other people eating so enthusiastically, mouths open, teeth and tongue stained interesting colors, only made it ten times worse.

Add to that mix concern over Neru, a middling-lukewarm dislike of Len and even stronger dislike for his sister, and Miku's innards had tied themselves into a knot.

Neru was not the only one who felt sick.

"I don't want anything," said Miku, shaking her head.

When the nervous-looking waitress had left, Rin asked Miku, quizzically; "What, you don't eat? Are you watching your figure or something?"

"I'm not hungry."

"It's not like you need to go on a diet or anything," said Rin. "I was thinking this for a while, but you're kinda pretty."

"R-really?" Miku smiled, against her will.

Perhaps Rin was not quite so bad after all…

"Yeah," the beribboned girl continued. "It's odd, though. Because Neru-chan is so, um…" She made a pantomime show of searching for a word– tapping her lower lip and looking around, as though the proper adjective was written on the wall. "Well, Neru-chan is not pretty." Rin said bluntly. "She's very plain and common. So it's strange that such a pretty person is hanging out with someone so ugly."

Neru sank down low in her chair, fixated on her shoes.

Those stupid, smiley-face laces grinned back inanaley.

To the paranoid Neru, they almost seemed to be laughing at her.

Laughing at her inability to defend herself.

Miku was more verbal about her feelings.

Any positive emotion she had been feeling towards Rin dissipated, like the evaporation of water in a puddle.

"Don't say bad things about Neru-chan," said Miku. Her voice was fairly cordial; but there was an element of real anger hidden in there, that Rin seemed to notice. "I don't think she's ugly. The people who say cruel things are the ones who are really ugly, on the inside."

"Then it is a good job people take you for face value, instead of looking at your intestines," said Rin.

"I wish you wouldn't say these things to Neru-san," said Len softly. He was playing with a napkin; folding it over and over, then tearing it into neat squares. "I didn't bring her here so you could be insulting. It's childish, and I don't like it."

"I was only stating the truth," said Rin haughtily. "Lying is worse."

Rin stared at Neru whilst she said this, head propped up in her hands. Her eyes looked very big and blue and suspicious. Almost accusatory.

Neru felt her heart beat slowly, then grind to a halt with a painful _thud_.

Surely Rin hadn't figured out Miku's true identity?

How could she?

"O-okay, I have your orders…"

The miserable waitress shuffled towards their table, head lolling like a marionette's with cut strings. Unbeknownst to her, her arrival had brought to an end a rather sinister atmosphere.

"Who wanted the carrot cake?"

"Me!~" said Rin cheerily. In an instant- as though some switch had been flicked on in her brain- Rin's mien had altered completely. She was now bright and polite and cheerful; a complete 180 from the cold, cruel, suspicious girl she had been moments before.

Watching Rin's transformation was quite unsettling.

Once all the food and drink had been given to the right person, the gloomy waitress shuffled off again.

Miku turned, and watched her take an order from a group of rowdy boys; a funny-looking pink haired boy, a redhead and a blond.

The vocaloid thought that there seemed to be some kind of constant raincloud around the waitress; a mark of how depressing she was.

At least the three boys seemed to like her.

Probably because of her ample chest.

Miku could not help but feel a little jealous over the waitress' good physique.

Such people did not have a right to look so upset! It only made other girls feel _worse_ about their own appearances!

Suddenly, Miku caught a flash of green from her peripheral vision.

It was Neru's salad. And, unlike most human food, it smelt _wonderful_.

"Neru-chan!" exclaimed Miku, her voice filled with awe. She pointed at the salad Neru had been dejectedly picking at; there was a piece of something green and crunchy speared on the end of her fork. "Neru-chan, what's that?"

Rin looked amused by this over-excitable behaviour.

"It's a salad, Miku-chan. Don't they have salad from where you come from?" she said, smirking.

Miku did not like being addressed in such an overly-familiar way by somebody she did not like very much. It was insulting, and made her feel uncharacteristically angry.

The vocaloid decided to do the sensible thing and ignore Rin.

That tasty looking (and smelling) salad was more important, anyway.

"Neru-chan, what is the name of this vegetable here?" asked Miku, peering at the funny green thing speared on Neru's fork.

"Oh, this?" Neru's voice was quieter than normal when she spoke; probably because she had not been speaking for quite some time now. Her vocal chords must've been getting dusty, Miku speculated. "It's only a bit of… leek, I think. It's not too special."

"It looks nice~ Can I have some?"

"You won't like it."

Neru remembered Miku's unfortunate encounter with the banana ice-cream. If she didn't like ice-cream (which was something everyone, apart from lactose-intolerant people, simply had to love. It was one of the rules of the universe) the chances were slim-to-none that she would like vegetables.

But Miku was adamant.

"Can I have some, please, please, please?" Miku whined childishly.

Neru sighed. She did not want to make a scene in front of Rin. The blonde was already smiling deviously- she obviously found the situation very amusing.

"Fine, alright then," said Neru, holding out her fork to Miku. "Though I don't know why you care so much."

"Yay~ Thank you, Neru-chan," sang Miku, placated. The prospect of sampling these so-called 'leeks' had taken precedence over her intense dislike of Rin.

The vocaloid leant forward, and – instead of simply taking the proffered fork like a normal person – slid the food off the prongs with her teeth.

As soon as the leek hit her tongue, Miku felt an inexplicable feeling of calm descend upon her.

It was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted! Far, _far_ better than that disgusting ice-cream slop, which had made her retch and turned her stomach.

Miku felt almost sorry for Len, sat there eating his own half-melted ice-cream when there was food like _this_ in the world.

Miku could understand the worth of food now, and why humans were so inexplicably attached it to- asides from the basic, common sense reason that without it, they would die.

The vocaloid chewed a couple of times, then swallowed.

She smiled brightly.

"Delicious! Neru-chan, it's really nice!"

"_Really_?" Neru looked perplexed at this strange revelation. "You like it? But it's a vegetable." The ponytail'd blonde shook her head, and crossed her arms. "You're so strange."

"Can I have the rest, Neru-chan? It's too good~ Uwahh~"

"Sure." Neru slid her plate over.

She wasn't feeling hungry.

The calculating look on Rin's face had put her right off food- even if it _was_ only a few limp lettuce leaves, tomato, cucumber and, Miku's new favourite food, leeks.

Neru watched with a small, barely visible smile, as Miku picked about the salad, pushing the lettuce to one side and hunting through the leaves for any more leek.

It was cute.

"Hey, Neru-chan~" said Rin, holding her own fork in one hand. It glistened, like Rin's eyes.

The sound of Rin's voice made Neru turn about. Her smile dissolved like snow in water. Most people would never have noticed its existence at all.

"You two seem _awfully_ close," said Rin. "How long have you been together?"

"A few days," said Neru stiffly. She looked at her lap, cheeks red and hot. Neru was well aware of what Rin was insinuating, even if Miku was happily oblivious, eating her leek without a care in the world.

"How cute. I just think it's incredibly nice you've gotten along so well." Rin stabbed her fork into the remainder of her cake. "It must be nice that you finally have somebody who appreciates you, Neru-chan."

"What? Why?" Miku frowned. Her fork, laden with leek and nothing else, hovered a few inches away from her mouth; but Rin's words made her pause. She put it back down. "What do you mean?"

Neru shifted around in her seat, and said nothing.

She could feel the bombshell coming, and didn't how to stop it- save from jumping across the table, grabbing Rin in a headlock and smashing her face into the floor.

The three boys at the back of the café had begun catcalling and whistling at the shy waitress.

It was giving Neru a headache.

"Well~" sang Rin. "Where do I start, hmn? Well… Miku-chan, did you know Neru-san's dream is to become a famous idol?"

"No, I didn't… She never told me." Miku looked shocked. Her Neru, a famous idol? For some reason, Miku could not see it- Neru seemed far too shy to willingly thrust herself into the limelight like that.

"That's odd. It's she ever thinks about lately. I'm surprise she never mentioned it to you. If, indeed, you really are her pen-friend." Rin let her gaze flicker over Miku- but the turquoise-haired girl did not flinch.

Neru was still looking at her shoes, listening to the catcalls;

"_Hey, baby, get back here! We ain't finished yet!"_

"_Yeah, you tell her, Luki!"_

"_C'mon, honey- you obviously weren't given a job for your waitressing talents!"_

"_Nahh, it's all about your boobs!"_

"_So come back and let us get a good look!~"_

Such talk only made Neru feel sicker than before. The depravity of mankind never ceased to amaze her. Just when you thought it couldn't slip any lower, it did.

She wondered if the boys would get thrown out.

The waitress did look pretty flustered now- shaking and biting her lower lip, the plates she carried trembling in her unsteady grip.

"Neru-chan goes to the same dance academy I do," said Rin, "where – I guess – she hopes to learn how to sing and dance properly. It's all kind of futile though, because Neru-chan _sucks _at it."

At the sound of her dream being trashed, Neru felt her heart constrict painfully, as though it were in a vice.

Rin's words wouldn't have hurt so much if they were not true; but they were, and Neru knew it- she had always known it- but she did not want to admit it.

She had no talent.

"Rin," said Len, sounding a tad alarmed. He took of hold of his sister's shoulder. "Calm down-"

"No wayyy~" said Rin playfully, wriggling out from under Len's grip. She stuck out her tongue. "Just thought Miku-chan should know some simple facts about Neru-chan! It's common knowledge that she's completely useless everywhere else- it wouldn't be fair if Miku didn't know."

Neru clenched her fists. The knuckles turned white.

She sat there, very still, barely even blinking.

She tried to focus on her shoelaces, the giant smiley faces, but every single word Rin said hit home.

The ponytail'd girl flinched.

"So, how are you doing with the big performance thing?" asked Rin. The question was innocent enough, but there was a poisonous look about her pretty face. "Have you been rehearsing hard? We only have three weeks left."

"Mmn…" Neru let out a small, non-committal noise. Her head was bowed, cheeks flushed.

She hadn't even started it yet.

"Me and Len were getting some stuff for my dance. What are you going to wear, Neru-chan? Urgh- hopefully not those ugly, charity shop clothes you normally wear. They're so hideous!"

"Rin!" Len scolded.

The blond looked across the table at Neru, who had sunk lower and lower in her seat. Her face was white and pasty. Her fingers curled and uncurled in her lap. She was actually _shaking_.

"Maybe we should go," Len suggested. His banana ice-cream was not even finished yet, and normally Len would die before let perfectly good banana go to waste, but Neru looked _terrible. _In fact, there seemed to be a very real possibility that she would die, if Rin didn't leave her alone at once.

But Rin wasn't done yet.

"Don't be silly, Len-Len, I was only giving Neru-chan some fashion tips!" protested Rin. "Friendly advice, right?"

"Friendly?" exclaimed Len. He looked incredulous.

_If that's her when she's being _friendly_, I'd hate to see what she's like when she's being mean._

As it transpired, Len did not have to wait very long to find out.

"Although, don't worry if you haven't got a costume or routine worked out yet," said Rin, in a mock-sympathetic voice. "You're so bad at dancing, Meiko will probably kick you out before then. Unless, of course, we wants somebody really awful hanging around, to make everyone else look better… Hehehe~"

Rin giggled at her own joke.

Nobody else did.

Neru felt as though the bottom had dropped out of her stomach.

Her eyes began prickling- oh God, she _couldn't_ cry, not _now_- and she blinked, took a deep breath in, tried to compose herself.

…The composure did not last for very long.

"_Hey, babe, where are you going?"_

"_Come back!"_

"_Take your shirt off- you'll get more customers that way!"_

"_Hahaha, yeah- you know it, Sora!"_

"_Take it off! Take it off!"_

"Kyah!"

The poor, clumsy waitress- distracted by the disgusting boys, and already hampered by the food-laden plates that weighed down her arms- managed to trip, rather spectacularly, on thin air.

Luckily, she did not dirty.

Instead, Neru did.

A plate landed near the blonde. The ceramic shattered, but the spaghetti flew through the air, and landed all over Neru's hair and clothes.

The blonde could only sit and stare in horror, as the tomato sauce seeped through her bangs and ran down her face.

There was a moment of silence.

Then, the boys at the back began to snigger- and Rin did, too- and pretty soon, most of the people assembled were laughing at the sorry sight of Akita Neru.

Neru had never wished to fall into a black hole more than she did at that moment.

"Neru-chan!" cried Miku, reaching out to take Neru's arm.

At the contact, Neru jumped.

She looked around, at the laughing faces and the apologetic, near-sobbing waitress; the worried Miku and the undeniably amused Len (though he tried to stifle his errant snorts with his hand).

It was all too much.

With teary eyes- her vision swimming with water- Neru jumped to her feet, and ran.

It felt like her heart was breaking.

And Len hadn't even cared.

* * *

**a.n: holy hell this is a long chapter XD i never normally do chapters this long- they're usually, like, a quarter of this size XD**

**rin's outfit in this chapter is based on the artwork in a video by putin-p, for anyone who cares c:**

**writing this took about a week-ish. mainly because i had really bad writer's block and after i did the first 7 pages i decided i didn't like them and scrapped them ;A;**

**i hope you like it!**

**it may seem that not a lot happened here, but important plot points have been established XD whoot!**

**~renahhchen xoxox**


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